The Rise of the Guild
by Walkman355
Summary: It has been twenty years since the Guild fell. Amara Collins, a young Hero, wishes to learn the skills her parents used so she can become like the Heroes of Old; a champion of justice! But not all fantasies meet up with the reality as the Heroes she meets are but shells of the mighty Guild they used to belong to. But when a new evil emerges these Heroes shall prove their worth.
1. The Heroes of Old

**The Rise of the Guild**

Amara moved around the house slowly gathering her things into a pack; potions, food, money, and her mother's jeweled knife. She then began to gather her weapons; her mother's bow the Cupid, and her father's scimitar the Black Panther. "Leaving so soon?" the old man called.

"Guild Master, you shouldn't be up and about. Lie back down please."

"I am not dead yet, nor am I a fool…you seek answers…and other Heroes."

"I appreciate all that you've done for me Guild Master, but if I am to become a true Hero I must be trained."

The old man smiled gently, "Child you are so young and not yet as wise as I. But I know you will not listen so I will give you some good advice, take the caravan to Bowerstone with the crops we harvested and sell them there. Then head to the Market District and seek out the house of Thomas Cluck."

"Cluck, you mean like a chicken?"

The old man chuckled, "You'll see why when you get there."

And so she left that town looking back as Oakvale faded in the distance and the caravan began to pass through Barrow Fields, then Darkwoods, then Greatwood finally arriving at Bowerstone where she sold the crops and went to Cluck Manor. She arrived at the mansion its white painted walls and the chicken statues and fountains in the front yard. The golden gates gleamed in the sunlight and she moved up to the door and used the chicken knocker. "Yes, yes I'm coming."

The man who answered the door was dressed like nobility wearing a cuffed overcoat and a frilled shirt. His trousers black with a golden stripe running down the seam and he wore fancy leather boots. His eyes were electric blue and he had short white hair with a single tattoo of a purple thistle that wrapped around his left eye. "Ah I'm sorry, I don't have any gold on me at the moment give me a second."

"Actually I'm looking for a Hero, his name is…" He grabbed her and pulled her inside, closing and locking the door lightning charged at his fingertips.

"Who sent you? Are you one of those damned Oakvale Anti-Hero blokes?"

"N-no sir, I came from Guild Master. He wanted me to find you."

The harshness in his eyes subsided and the lightning disappeared. "You're lucky he sent you…if you were from the Oakvale Anti-Hero League I would have killed you where you stand."

She was a little shocked but she held herself together as she looked him in the eyes, "I need someone to teach me the ways of a Hero!"

"You've come to the wrong person then…I have nothing to teach nor do I wish to."

She firmly planted herself in the chair by his door, "Then I'm not leaving."

The next week passed by slowly as she sat there and waited, it had been two days since her food had run out and she was starving. He walked up slowly, "Do you truly wish to learn the ways of a Hero? The more you know the harder it will be to deny it when they come for you."

She gazed weakly at him, "More than anything I want to be a Hero!"

"First lesson, get something to eat…I refuse to teach a corpse."

She went to his kitchen and saw the meal he had prepared, vegetables, lean meats, pasta, and wine. She gulped it all down not breaking stride until he entered the room. "Are you done? If so I have a training ground in the basement. The training will be grueling and I don't intend to take breaks is that understood?"

She nodded in agreement and followed him down to the basement where he set his jacket on the stand and grabbed two training swords throwing her one. "First lesson will be in the discipline of Strength. You don't strike me as a brute so I will teach you the basics of swordplay so you can learn to defend yourself and fight back if need be. Now prepare yourself!" He charged her and swung she instinctively blocked it and tried to stop the onslaught of blows thrown her way but by the end of the first hour she was drenched in sweat and covered with cuts. "We'll try again soon. Since I have gauged where you stand in swordplay I can train you enough in three weeks, then we move on to Will and Skill."

The next three weeks were brutal physical exercises and combat routines to train her to be agile and strong. Until they came to the final test, "Today, I ask that you get one scratch on me. I will use my sword Excalibur and I will test you. Pass and I train you in Will, fail and we continue training for another few weeks." He drew the golden blade from its sheath the blade glittering with a reflective sheen as he spun the sword and tested its weight. "I have not fought with this sword in five years, when I accumulated enough gold to buy this mansion and live easy for a few years I gave up being a Hero. So now I will show you how a real Hero fights." He rushed in with a side swipe, but she anticipated it and blocked. However, the gold began to leave his sword and hers began to turn into gold. She broke away and stared in awe. "Oh I forgot to mention, Excalibur can turn anything I attack to gold by drawing on my Will. It's how I paid for this mansion and my charities. I can also do this!" The blade turned a hot orange as he sliced cleanly through her blade leaving a melting glob at the end of it. She dropped the blade and ran for her father's sword in the corner drawing the obsidian scimitar and dropped into a fighting stance holding the blade behind her back and began to stalk Thomas like a cat before lunging in slashing, feigning, and reversing. Driving him back until he was against the wall where she simply cut his sleeve.

Thomas smiled gently, "You passed." Both of them collapsed panting, Thomas stood slowly and his shirt fell off revealing two more tattoos a golden guild seal with wings on his back, and a green set of scales with a crown over them. "What do your tattoos mean?"

He sighed softly, "When the guild fell, me and three others retreated to Aurora which was the homeland of one of the Heroes, Jon the Stonewall. Along with Richard Shard and Warren Mest we all lived and trained there for ten years. In Aurora tattoos are marks of power or symbolic significance. Green is the color of growth, so the scales and crown is for a growth of wealth and status. The golden Guild Seal is for the prosperity of Heroes that the Guild and Heroes will one day live again. The purple thistle is for my mind, purple represents dreams and since a thistle is resilient so is my mind. It is a ward of sorts to keep me safe, now to begin your training." Suddenly greenish blue lines began to arc around his body forming symbols and patterns. "These are the Will lines of a Master. We shall begin instruction of it alongside Skill, because if you want to gather Heroes we must act quickly."

They began their next lesson and he taught her of the essences of Will and Skill. "Will is to harness your mana or life energy and turning it into power. What sets Heroes apart from others is that even in our strength or speed we draw on Will to supply those super-human feats. Without Will the other two are nothing." She focused hard drawing all of her energy into her palms only to create a measly spark.

"It's not working!"

"We're only three days in, and it's not supposed to be. If anyone could harness Will there would be no Heroes and we would be fighting constantly with one another. The very reason the Old Kingdom collapsed is because the children of Archon saw fit to oppress the people. Just as they were overthrown so were we."

She was not pleased with the answer, but she continued to train growing more powerful each day. Thomas said she had a natural affinity for Skill as she beat his agility obstacle course in record time and they continued to practice swordplay and archery. And as a year passed she was strong enough to use a variety of spells though none of them were very strong. "It looks like you've still got a way to go with Will and we haven't even started the more advanced aspects of Skill. I think we need help, but luckily you wanted to find more Heroes and I know three who would be willing to teach you. They were my three companions that went with me to Aurora. We'll start with your Skill teacher, Warren Mest."

They set out to find him, with a proper change of clothes of course, Thomas wore a simple white shirt and a coat, with regular explorer's trousers and some simple sturdy boots. He had provided her with a sleeveless shirt and a set of leather trousers and boots. The location was nothing like she imagined however, when they left Bowerstone North and went down to the Prison Path she was a little shocked. They took a small ferry out to Bargate Prison which had been reinstated by the newest mayor of Bowerstone to hold criminals, since Twin Blade's defeat many years ago the bandit community had been scattered and formed little clans and had been brought to the prison bit by bit. They were greeted at the front gate by the Warden, "Ah, Master Cluck I received the report that you and your bodyguard would be arriving! As you can see the prison is completely changed from the darker ages."

"Indeed, I'm here to locate a certain prisoner and put him to work for me."

"Beg your pardon ma lord?"

"I am looking for Warren Mest otherwise known as Warren the Balver Knight."

"Ah him, um, terribly sorry but we can't let a villainous Hero like him out of these prison walls. After calming down that Hero hunt by the Oakvale Anti-Hero league we don't want to rekindle any hatred for Heroes."

"I see, don't worry Warden I will speak with him and if he is unreachable we will leave and he can stay and rot."

The Warden pondered this before agreeing solemnly, "I'll take you down to him."

They ventured through the prison, first passing the convicted criminals who jeered and yelled at her, then on to the criminally insane, and finally they arrived at a long staircase that went down to the heart of the island. Here in a circular barred chamber in shackles and a stockade for good measure was a skinny man with long black hair and tattoos like Thomas. One was an orange crescent moon on his left arm and the other was a red scythe on his right arm. He raised his head slowly and she saw two blue lines running from his eyes to his scraggily beard, the eyes a piercing gold that scanned the room like a caged wolf. "Hello Warren," said Thomas as he pulled up a chair and sat down in front of him, "It's been a long time, six years if I remember correctly, how did you wind up in here?" Warren just stared coldly through him and continued to scan the room, his eyes fixed on her and she froze still. "She is my apprentice Warren, but she needs someone to teach her how to be skillful, and crafty…can you do that?" He continued to stare, she felt herself getting dizzy and the room began to move around her only the eyes remained. She instinctively called on her Will to shield her mind and a slow smile crept up Warren's face,

"She learned well…"

"I should hope so, her name is Amara Collins."

At this Warren's eyes snapped on Thomas and he gazed intently at him. "If you agree to train her I will get you out of here."

"Her parents weren't known for their Skill abilities, why should I?"

"Because she's fast, good with a bow, and she's very stealthy."

Warren grinned wider and looked into Thomas' eyes, "You've got a deal."

"Warden, release him."

The Warden stood there slack jawed as if he had been hit over the head with a stick before stumbling over trying desperately to get the right keys, "Three years he's been here, never once I heard him speak!"

Warren replied smugly, "You were never a conversationalist."

"Oh so now that you talk your some sort of smart arse!"

"Aw, but Warden we always got along so well you and I…what changed?" Warren taunted.

"That's it!" The Warden charged him as if to tackle him and before Amara or Thomas could jump in to stop him, Warren used his chains to flip over the Warden and spun kicking the Warden in his head knocking him into the bars.

"Thomas could you fetch me the keys please?"

Thomas retrieved them from the Warden and unlocked Warren's locks and Warren tested his weight. "Little malnourished, but on bread and scarce water I didn't expect to be a powerhouse." He walked up to the Warden and kicked him in the gut before locking him in the cell. "I'll need my personal effects." He opened a chest and pulled out some blue trousers with black boots and fingerless black gloves, throwing on a black highwayman's coat with red embroidery on the back of a crescent moon with a wolf howling at it. He pulled out an odd katana, a bow and a quiver, and tucked the keys in his pocket.

"Don't worry Warden, I'll hand these to someone who will let you out later. Now, you wanted me to teach her? What say we get some fresh air?"

They began to walk their way out of the prison, the prisoners waving and cheering at Warren as he strode out like the king; gesturing to his subjects and saying, "Thank you, thank you, you're too king!" They made it to the prison yard and where they were surrounded by guards.

"What do you think you're doing, where's the Warden?"

"He's busy, but here are the keys to the resort, I'm checking out." He threw them to the closest guard and it bounced off his chest as they refused to lower their weapons, "I see…so it's gonna be that way…" Amara barely registered what happened, but in the next instance Warren was sheathing his katana on the other side of the guards and they all fell down unconscious. "Time's wasting, let's go and save the world or whatever it is you all want to do."

"Is he always like this?" Amara asked.

"No, he used to be a lot more patient." Thomas replied.

They set of, not knowing that soon a great evil would fall upon them.

**Please review.**


	2. Warren the Balver Knight

**Last chapter was a little shaky, but I tried to improve with this one.**

**The Hero Who Weeps**

Warren wolfed down the meat and cheese Thomas had given him, tearing the bread the barmaid had left with his teeth like a wolf picks clean the bones of a dead beast. Warren cried out at the barmaid, "Bring me a drink honey, the good stuff!" Thomas sighed as he knew this was coming out of his pocket.

"Of course sir, would you like a Bowerstone Ale, some of this Fairfax wine, made by some rich folk near Barrow Fields, and then there's this liquor Skorm's Breath, rumor has it the Chapel of Skorm made it." She chuckled at the last one, "Imagine, a temple of evil making brews for the rest of us."

"I'll take a flagon of the ale, a glass of the Skorm's Breath leave the bottle and park your warm, fresh buns here eh love?" he finished giving her rump a quick squeeze. She giggled and ran off to fetch his order and probably freshen up. "So what do you want me to do exactly Thomas?"

"I need you to teach Amara the ways of Skill and how to manipulate her Will better."

Warren looked lazily over to her, "So lass how are you with a bow?"

"I can hit an apple off a tree at forty paces."

"Interesting, and as for a sword how fast would you say you are?"

"Uh average I guess, what does this have to do with…"

"Everything," he said sharply cutting her off, "now what about stealth, can you say…steal that bastard's purse over there?" he said pointing to a fat noble stuffing his face with mutton and ale, it sloshing everywhere making him look like a bloated pig.

"But…but it's not right!"

"Can you do it or can't you?"

"I…I don't know!"

"Show me what you can do; if you can't do it I will not train you."

She stood up slowly and walked over to where he was, picking up a dish rag off a nearby table. "Scuse me sir, just gonna clean your table up nice."

The man belched, "Do what you must girly."

She leaned over and began to clean, looking intently at his coin purse and she accidently knocked over his ale, "Stupid wench!"

"Don't worry sir, I'll clean it up."

"Oh you'll do more than that!" he said as he cupped her butt and began to grope.

She was about to smack him when Warren stumbled over, "Oy there mate, care to shpare a drink for lil' 'ol me?"

"Back off you drunk!" the man cried shoving him away."

"Well thatsh not bery nice…I'm jus tryin to be a mate and you won't even sharen ale wif me," he looked lazily over at her and got a goofy grin, "Well what about you darlin? You got the spunk to tame my beast?" He fell over her shoulder and she looked at the rich man, "I'll sit this man down and we won't bother you again."

They stumbled off and she sat him down at their table to see the booze hadn't even arrived yet, "Well that could have gone better," Warren said stretching, "but I got what I wanted." He said tossing the coin purse in the air and catching it with a satisfying jingle.

"You set me up to fail!" she whispered through gritted teeth.

"Of course I did, with how empty the bar is you wouldn't have been able to steal that without a distraction. But at least I was able to see how you fared and I must say I'm not too impressed…I'll have my work cut out for me."

The bar maid arrived with their drinks and batted her lashes at Warren, placing a piece of paper beneath the liquor bottle, before walking off giggling. "What was that?" Thomas asked as he poured himself some of the liquor, no doubt for the growing headache he had.

Warren unfolded it as he picked up the ale, "Her address, I think I'll be staying at her place for the night so uh…you guys can rent out a room here or return to your fancy mansion."

Thomas downed his glass, poured another, downed it again, and got up leaving some gold on the table, "Come on Amara, we have stuff to do." She left, looking back at Warren who continued to flirt with the bar maid.

The next day, there was a knock on the door as Amara and Thomas were finishing their breakfast as Warren strolled in with his hair cut in a shaggy unkempt fashion, and his beard trimmed up neatly. "What a wonderful morning it is, ah that bar maid was a sweet young soul…well not anymore…we did some things that I didn't think a sweet lass like her would do…twas wonderful."

"Well I'm glad you got to satiate your lust that's been stewing for a couple of years, but we need to begin her training."

"Don't worry you know how I am…learning through real world experience. So I propose we go somewhere where there won't be any interruptions alright?"

Thomas looked at him skeptically, "Where did you have in mind?"

"How about the old Heroes Guild; half a day's walk from here?"

Thomas looked in shock, "You can't be serious?"

"I'm very serious, she needs to be trained properly and I can't think of any other place."

"But…very well…"

Warren looked at her, "Pack only enough food for three days…it won't take me that long to train you."

Thomas looked at him with an even more frantic look in his eyes, "Warren, you can't honestly be considering using that thing!"

"I can and am…now we have a long journey, let's leave as soon as possible."

They set out that afternoon and the sense of dread Amara felt was growing as Thomas continued to stay silent and Warren had a face like stone. He did not speak until they had arrived at the hill overlooking the Guild Hall. "This is our destination, the Heroes Guild…take whatever moment of silence you need to revere it, before we enter."

She took a moment to look at it, not noticing much except the emptiness that seemed to inhabit it. "We will camp for the night before we begin your training, we will head to the Guild Woods…I need to retrieve some things."

They walked through the empty halls and through the dormitories where they set down their bedrolls and their packs, Thomas stopping at a bookshelf grabbing a volume off the shelf. "It's only slightly charred…the Hero of Oakvale…I loved this story when I was a young member of the Guild. Have you ever heard of the Hero of Oakvale Amara?"

"He was a famous hero who defeated Jack of Blades right?"

"No Amara," Warren spoke up, "he was THE Hero…he was what we all strive to be like…strong, wise, swift…he mastered all three Hero disciplines, and brought down a being that even Archon failed to truly slay."

"It is theorized, that the Hero of Oakvale was actually descended from the first Archon…and that Archon's blood flows through all Heroes, but those like the Hero of Oakvale have a higher concentration of it...a pureblood if you will."

"And this Hero was the greatest?

"The greatest of the last age…but there is always room in the world for Heroes…"

She nodded solemnly, realizing just how hard it must have been for the Heroes of Old...and even Thomas and Warren who had lost everything here.

"Come with me both of you…I have to retrieve my things."

They walked out to the forest, unaware of what would be there. They passed streams and jumped over trees until arriving at a downturned log. A wolf crept out from the shadows, its fur as black as night teeth bared and a low murderous growl filled its throat. Thomas reached into his coat and pulled out a pistol and took aim, but Warren held up his hand. "Don't, I can handle this." He knelt down in front of the wolf and fixed his eyes on it and began to whisper in a strange language to the wolf. It straightened its back and ceased its growl, walking up to Warren with a warm look in its eyes. "La ha'ol Voltanek. You have my thanks." At this, the wolf began to lick Warren's face like a puppy seeing his master after so long, and Warren laughed, "I missed you too, boy."

Amara was dumbstruck, "That's YOUR wolf?"

"Of course, had to have someone keep away robbers from my stuff. Amara, Thomas, I'd like you both to meet Midnight. Midnight, these are my friends." The wolf regarded them with a friendly bark before going back to his master to get petted. Warren stroked his fur gently and scratched him behind his ears before looking him in the eyes, "Midnight, is my stuff ok?"

Midnight licked his master and led him to the log where he disappeared and came back dragging a chest with his teeth, "Ah, so it is all here…that's good."

"What's in there?" Amara asked quizzically

"The solution to our problems." He opened the chest and took out the contents: a small pouch, a journal, a few maps and documents, and finally a pair of strange looking leather gauntlets.

"What is all that for?"

"Well, they are how I intend to teach you…or at least some of it." He placed the maps and documents back in the chest with his journal before fastening on the gauntlets and tying the pouch to his waist. They followed him back to the Guild Hall with Midnight and he set the chest down in their quarter carefully placing the journal into his pack before handing the maps and documents to Thomas, whispering a few things as he did. Thomas nodded and left for the library with Warren leaving her with Midnight and a burning fire. She began to prepare their dinner, and after a while Warren and Thomas returned with another small box and a few more papers. Thomas grabbed his dinner and went to a table to work on the papers as Warren and Amara ate in silence. When they were done they sat for a while before Warren broke the silence by pulling out an ocarina from his pouch and began to play a strange tune. It was slow and sad, yet elegant and beautiful. Thomas lifted his head from his work listening closely before singing.

"In a land far away in a cove by the sea, I look at the moon and begin to dream.

Here I am a knight one day, a clever thief, a powerful mage.

I dream of the future and silently sing the songs of Heroes far, far away.

One rose from the East strong and wise, powerful in Will and with hard-set eyes.

Another from the West, a clever thief, a Reaper both Skillful and brave.

The next to the South a Knight who was Strong and just.

The last a Sorceress, very strange. Who married the Knight and a child they made.

But not all was meant to be as this dream became tragedy.

The Heroes betrayed by the Mage, who wished to see the Guild Hall burn.

His death was swift, justice in turn.

The Knight was slain, by man's bullet in the fray.

The Sorceress next to her love did lay, where she died the same way.

The Reaper fought, and many men died.

Until the reaper took her life.

The Guild Hall burned and none were spared.

Their spirits still fill the air.

And so we sing to mourn our dead.

Solemnly we bow our head."

At the final verse Thomas lowered his head and began to cry as did Warren, although she did not lower her head she could feel the salty tears on her face, "What is that song?"

"It is a song Warren wrote when we were in Aurora…it honors the dead Heroes who lost their life that horrible night. I have not heard it in fifteen years…it is a sad thing."

Midnight howled a long and lonely howl before resting his head on the stone floor. Warren took a deep sigh before standing and composing himself, "Now we begin your training…first you must follow me and Thomas to the Chamber of Fate beneath the Guild."

She followed them to the library where they walked down a set of stairs and across a stone bridge to a large circular chamber at the center. Warren opened the small box, and began to prepare a potion with the materials within as Thomas began to channel Will into an artifact at the center. It began to glow with blue light and Warren finished with his potion. "I need to add the last three ingredients…a lock of your hair," he said plucking out one of her hairs, "the tears of a Will Master," he said adding a vial of Thomas' tears which for some reason seemed to glow blue in resonance with the circle, "and finally, the essence of the Skillful." As he drew a knife across his hand and let the blood flow into the potion where he swirled it all to mix together where it gave off a golden glow. "Drink." He said simply and held it to her, as she accepted the potion her hands continued to shake and her stomach churned as she felt she would vomit. She raised it slowly to her lips and began to slowly drink, it tasted like iron and as it went down she only felt sicker. "You must now stand in the circle Amara." She was hesitant as this ritual slowly terrified her more and more, but she complied moving slowly into the circle with each step it felt as if her stomach was getting heavier; she reached the center and stood still. "Now you must put on these gauntlets," he said handing her the gauntlets, "they help channel Will energy, and in these case you will need them to channel the potion." She put on the gauntlets and the focuses on them began to glow, suddenly she dropped to her knees as her stomach began to burn as if her insides were being set on fire. The gauntlets glowed brighter and they too began to burn, the circle began to shift to red instead of blue and she saw a look of worry on Thomas' face. He turned to Warren and shouted, but she heard nothing, their mouths moved but all she heard was a loud pounding like a heartbeat. Will lines began to creep up her body like Thomas' and she saw them look at her in awe. As the Will lines spread, so did the fire in her body. She wanted to stand, to run and drink a lake dry, but the pain kept her grounded. As the Will lines finally reached her eyes the pain intensified, she saw images: people running and screaming, the Guild in flames, a couple fleeing with a child in their arms, a dark mage laughing before a gunshot silenced him, a woman tall and fierce swinging a scythe downing man after man, a group of boys running towards the forest. Then she saw other images much more rapidly than the rest: years of training, running through woods, swordplay and magic, archery, it all flooded and blended together until darkness gripped her. One final image washed across her mind, the fierce woman standing and looking down at her. The woman smiled, "You have grown stronger, Warren."

She did not know how long she slept, but when she awoke she was in the dormitories. The sun had not yet risen and it was cold, Warren stoked the flames and Thomas lay at the desk asleep. She looked at her hands and the gauntlets were gone, a faint blue glow traced lines across her arms so faint that one would have to look close to see them. She rose slowly and went to the fire. "Good morning." Warren said.

"What was that?"

He sighed, obviously wanting to avoid the question, "I departed unto you my experience…normally it would take you years to learn what I did, but you did it in only a day."

"I've been asleep for a whole day?" She asked in shock.

"I said to bring food for three days…the first day was the ritual, the second you slept, and today we see what you learned."

"So what I saw…those were your memories?"

"Instilled through my blood and in my Will gauntlets, yes…"

"…who were they…the people in the visions?"

"The evil mage was Alsain the Wicked, who betrayed us to the Anti-Heroes League. The Knight and Sorceress in the song were your parents…James and Mary Collins."

"So then the couple with the child…but then who was the Reaper? The woman with the scythe?"

Warren choked at this and seemed to hold back his tears, "That was…Ruby…my mentor…the greatest Hero I have ever known…she fought valiantly in the battle…and bought time so me and the others could escape…she was an honorable warrior."

Amara bowed her head solemnly, "I meant to ask…Thomas says that your tattoos have meaning…what do your tattoos mean?"

He spoke as though in a trance, "The orange moon represents my strength…the strength of the wolf…the red scythe…is my love for Ruby…and the blue lines that run from my eyes are my sorrow…so that even if I do not cry, I will never stop mourning those I lost."

"I am sorry Warren."

"It is alright Amara." He looked out at the stars and began to sing,

"Lo an a sheta, Mariam do khan.

Solut a sheta ne, Mouri do lan.

Kalin soi, dak no ashe.

Norim ta wan…de."

Amara understood what it meant, but sang in the tongue of Albion.

"Long the road before you, but fear not my love.

I sing this tune to guide you, death awaits you.

Gently now, you return to ash.

No more do you suffer…go."

They sat in silence before Amara asked the question weighing on her mind, "What was that song…and how did I know the words?"

"It is a song we sing in my home at Snowspire…it is a song of passing when one embraces their grief and wishes good fortune for the spirits of the dead. As for how you know it, you absorbed my memories didn't you."

"It is beautiful…do you sing often?"

"Only when I feel remorse…I was so weak then…and I have not grown stronger…but I will help you in any way I can to learn the ways of the Heroes past."

She stood and looked down at him offering her hand, "Don't worry. You have grown stronger, Warren."

Looking up at her he thought he saw Ruby standing next to her, and once again he wept.


	3. Graduation

Graduation

"So now we see what you have absorbed Amara." Warren said as they stood on an old training field. She saw him set down the odd bow he carried and drew the katana he kept from its sheath, the grip was black leather and the hilt itself was silver. The top of the hilt was a wolf's head with intricate design it's eyes were red, probably rubies, and the blade extended from the wolf's open mouth. The blade was black and crystalline with a silver edge and the heart of the blade seemed to glow red faintly. "This is my blade…Inuzaki. Now draw your father's sword and we shall see what you have learned." As he lowered the blade she drew hers and dropped into her stance with the blade held behind her blade, for some reason it felt different in her hands like a new power coursed through it. "Begin." He rushed her and they clashed matching each other blow for blow as she knew every move he was going to make. She knocked his blade back and made a follow up swing, a little too wide, and he jumped back to avoid being sliced, however a bolt of lightning leapt from her blade and struck him in the chest sending him flying into one of the railings.

"Oh Skorm, I am so sorry I just…"

"It's fine," he said shrugging it off, "the fact that you can tap into the augment in your sword means that it has reacted to the enhanced Skill abilities you now possess."

She did feel a little stranger, and she noticed that now she was taller than Thomas, if only by an inch, Warren was still taller than her though. "I also feel faster, sharper. I can hear and see things far away, and tell where they are; it's a little overwhelming."

"You get used to it, but from what I can see you have indeed Mastered Speed and Dexterous Styles. Now let's see how you are with Stealth and Accuracy."

She followed him out to the Guild Woods as they both had their bows with them. He led her to a little clearing where there were some deer grazing. "Now I want you to take aim and hit that deer," he pointed at the tallest and strongest buck, "I want you to bring him down in one shot. Follow me, and be quiet." They slowly crept around to get a better shot and she was careful to avoid touching anything that would alert them. She watched Warren's movements carefully and noticed he moved almost similarly to Midnight as he stalked the deer. She realized as well her movements had become more feline as she very much earned the Black Panther namesake. They reached a small ditch with a log laid on top of it and they gently slipped under the log, "Take aim." He said softly. She drew back the bow, blocking out all distractions but the single buck. She heard his breathing and his heartbeat, the heart, she followed the pounding like a soldier marches to the beat of a drum and centered on it. Her bow was pulled back taught and poised for the kill. She released and the gentle thwack of the bowstring and the high pitched whistle of the arrow made the buck raise his head in alarm, too late, the arrow hit home with enough force to knock the buck off his feet as he hit the ground dead on impact. The other deer scattered and fled as they crept up slowly to the buck, "Nothing goes to waste, skin him take all the meat you can and get those antlers off him." She went about careful not to damage the pelt and once she was done she began picking the best cuts of meat to put in the pouch they had brought finally salvaging the antlers as she had been told.

As they returned Thomas chuckled at their "conquest", "So what do you say Warren, is she ready?"

"She has retained my Skills and truly mastered the Hero Discipline. Amara, hand Thomas the sack," he grinned, "Thomas is making lunch today, you've earned yourself some rest. Now I'll take the pelt and antlers as I go about turning them into something useful." She went about the rest of the hour napping with Midnight as Thomas cooked some deer stew. At lunch she was woken up and prepared two servings in honor of her accomplishment. She did not notice Warren at all, but she ate and then it was Thomas' turn to train her, "So since we've been neglecting your Will exercises let's see what you can do. I set up some targets outside, and each one requires a different spell to bring it down. She walked outside and saw what he meant; he had set up three metal targets, two straw dummies, and a swinging metal target. "Inferno, Vortex." She said in concession as she shot out a fireball from one hand and a tornado from the other. The first dummy went up in flames and the other was ripped to pieces as she turned towards the metal targets. "Force Push, Shock, Ice Storm!" The first metal target was knocked down with a ping and confetti flew out, no doubt a joke designed by Thomas, the second exploded with a loud bang as the lightning struck the metal, and the last was shredded by the javelins of ice. The last one had obviously been designed to pick up speed as the others were destroyed because it was swinging frantically to and fro. She focused hard on this next spell because she didn't have too good a handle on it, after building it up she threw up her hands, "Slow Time!" with a flash of gold a strange clock pattern appeared at her feet showing her how long the spell would last. "Blades!" She yelled weakly as the swords appeared and flew at her target ripping it off its pendulum and pinning it to the wall. Thomas walked up slowly clapping, "Well done, well done…get some rest and recuperate your mana. I'll be in the library if you need me. She went back to the dormitories and passed out when she awoke the sun was setting and Warren was back.

"You're awake! Me and Thomas have some gifts for you in celebration of your completion of your training." He handed her a pair of boots and gloves, they were soft, yet sturdy. "These are from the deer you felled earlier today and so is this," he said presenting her with a knife the sheath made from the buck's antler and the hilt was made the same way, she drew the blade and it was polished steel with only one word etched into the blade,

"Hara, what does it mean?"

"In my language…Hope."

She sheathed the blade and hugged Warren and thanked him for his gift, "But what about Thomas?"

"Right here," he said walking up the stairs, "The documents Warren presented me was actually manifests of Hero's possessions and records of bloodlines. What I did with that is one of two things, I found some Heroes who can join us, and I have found something you might enjoy." He presented her with two leather bound books. One with gold inscriptions and in the front cover it merely said in pristine cursive, "Mary Guinevere." The other was more beat up and in solid script just said, "James Collins"

"My parent's diaries?"

"Yes, from the time they joined the Guild to the day they…passed…"

She embraced Thomas the tears running down her face, "Thank you…thank you both."

"May I tell you something Amara?" Warren asked.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and made a slight sniffle, "Sure."

"Your father…before joining the Heroes Guild was a master blacksmith. In his life he made many swords…but only three did he ever keep. The Black Panther, an obsidian blade made for Ruby originally, but she turned him down and told him to keep it for one who truly deserved it. The augment in that blade he called the "Roar of Thunder". The second was his own personal blade, the Storm Breaker, it was a powerful broadsword that could control the winds and made his invulnerable with the augments he put in it. The final blade was his betrothal gift to your mother, a blade called the Cherub. It had three augments, a Will focus, the "Light as a Feather" Augment, and the pommel stone was a augment called "Love's Embrace"…it was the only augment we knew that actually healed as it cut…it was a purifying sword…said to kill the wicked's will to fight."

She sat in awe, "So these blades…"

"They were a family set," he said smiling, "I don't know if Ruby knew about you…but I like to believe she did."

"Thank you…this is all so wonderful!"

"Well it's not over yet, we still have to get you to master Will. And I have just the man to make it possible." Thomas said.

"Oh please tell me we're not visiting him." Warren groaned

"We don't really have a choice, he's very powerful and you know it."

"Um…who?" Amara asked.

"Richard Shard, the Shaper of Will."


	4. The Master of the Shard

The Master of the Shard

Thomas tinkered away with the Cullis Gate in the Guild Hall trying to make it work, "How much longer is this gonna take?" Warren grumbled begrudgingly.

"You try activating a Cullis Gate and then linking it to a location that doesn't have one." Thomas replied venomously.

"Then we work together," Warren replied, "Amara for how long can you sustain a Shock spell?"

"We're going to Richard to help me in Will…what do you think?"

Warren smiled, "I love that she has my sarcasm now, it's rather cute." He turned his hand towards the Cullis Gate and began to focus his Will, "Shock." He said smoothly and lightning began to stream from his hands.

Thomas jumped back, "Way to warn a guy before you do that!"

Warren grinned, "I like to keep it interesting." The gate began to glow blue and a strange spiraling energy began to circle the light like a wisp.

"Ok, it has been set to Brightwood we don't know where we'll come in so be prepared for anything." Thomas said. Amara nodded and watched as Warren and Thomas stepped through the Cullis Gate and she followed.

She did not expect the trip to be so jarring; she fell down into a lake with a large tower off to the side and began to feel sick. She swam to the tower's shore and began to vomit, once her stomach was clear she tried to find her center. She heard laughter nearby and looked to see Warren in a tree eating an apple, "Always disorienting the first time, your father hated the feeling so much that he walked everywhere; absolutely refused to use a Cullis Gate."

She was about to respond when she felt the pressure in her stomach building and vomited once more. He jumped down and helped her to her feet, "Easy now, just stand up and drink some water." He offered her a leather pouch full of water and she drank it down, a small stream of water running down the side of her mouth. "Better now?"

"Much better." She gasped. "Where are we?"

"Brightwood Tower…it was built not too long ago by the world's greatest scholar and foremost Master of Will."

"Richard Shard?"

"Yeah…HIM." Warren said with much distaste in his voice. "That bastard was always buggy and sadistic when I knew him; hopefully age has done a better job of mellowing him out."

Thomas appeared by them, "I think the door is unlocked, but it's completely dark within the tower and I can't see through the windows."

"Alright, we'll see what's what but first we wait." Warren sat down on the shore.

"Sit and wait, what for?" Thomas asked with skepticism hanging of the end of his question.

"For Midnight of course, we can't start without him."

Thomas' jaw dropped, "You can't be serious."

"Look I love my dog so we're going to wait, and yes I know it's about as illogical as your obsession with chickens."

"I…I don't have an obsession, it's my family's crest…and besides chickens are noble beasts."

"Yeah and so are wolves so we wait." Just then there was a flash of blue and Midnight fell into the lake and doggie-paddled over to them. Warren walked up after Midnight had shaken himself dry, "Yes I know you don't like the water too much do ya boy?" Midnight whimpered and then let out a happy bark as he trotted up to Amara. "He's taken quite a liking to you."

"Well he's good to have around aren't you boy?" Midnight barked happily before turning and growling at the stairs behind them.

"If you're going to camp out on my back yard you could at least make an effort to say hello." Said the mysterious man.

"Richard, it's been a while how are you holding up?"

Amara turned to look at him and was surprised; he wore a long brown robe like a monk, with a tunic and some trousers beneath it. He had very unkempt curly brown hair and a scraggily beard. His glasses were crooked and he wore strange shoes on his feet but even from here she could see why he was called a Master of Will his very presence seemed to shake her and his Will lines were a bright, but pale, blue. And his ice blue eyes cut through her like a knife. "How long has it been since I saw the three of you, a year now?"

"It's been eleven years, and you've never met her."

"Why of course I have, your Amara Collins, or are you Mary Collins?" he gripped his head and sat down shakily, "I need to return to the tower." Thomas took Richard's arm and walked him up to the tower as Warren and Amara followed slowly behind.

"What is with him, he seems…scrambled."

"It's because he is, Richard would do anything to progress his knowledge so when he returned from Aurora he built this tower and started to experiment with Old Kingdom technology and on himself. He may not be all here, but he is probably the strongest man alive."

She looked at Richard in awe and continued her walk in silence. When they arrived at the tower they followed Richard to his quarters where he grabbed a rubber tube connected to a bubbling flask and took a long puff of the fumes. His eyes fluttered and his face relaxed into a smile as his eyes glazed over, "Now what did you want to talk about?" he seemed to force himself to say.

"We need you to make a pair of gauntlets for Amara so she can better harness her Will." Thomas said.

"Already done my man; and I've also taken the liberty of making the gauntlets teach her new spells as well."

Warren looked at him skeptically, "What did you take a hit of, because I never remember you like this."

"What? Oh," Richard chuckled, "That my friend is boiled blue mushroom extract, and it is amazing!"

"So…you're high?" Warren asked.

"Nope, just in a more abstract state of mind really helps with meditation and regulation of Will."

Warren smacked his own face and turned to Thomas, "We're dealing with a drug addict! Are you kidding me?"

"Woah, woah, woah…woah…relax Warren I've seen this play out fifteen different times and I can assure you I've done everything right this time."

"This time? Wait…have you been tampering with Time Control?"

"Well…yes and no, let's just say I've stumbled on some Old Kingdom Artifacts that would blow your mind."

"You…you weren't in Snowspire were you?"

"On the contrary, I visited Aurora and Samarkand in the past few years and you'd be surprised what you can find when you go looking for it. And don't worry, I won't go near Snowspire…I know your secret and I promise I won't tell."

"Secret, what secret?" Amara asked quizzically.

"Nothing, let's just get your gauntlets."

She walked downstairs to his lab and saw a pair of blue leather gauntlets with silver makings and crystal gems. She put them on and immediately they caught flame as the fire began to wash over her she screamed. Warren, Thomas and Richard rushed down the stairs. "The gauntlets are rejecting her, what did you do?" Warren screamed as he slammed Richard into the wall.

"They aren't rejecting her," Richard replied, "I planned this; she has to confront her past."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just wait, she'll be along shortly."

Amara felt someone poking her, "Wake up lazy bones, if you're too slow balverines will eat your face!"

She sat up with a scream and swatted the hand away looking up at the young boy's face he had a slightly dark complexion with freckles and shaggy sand colored hair, "Sammy?"

"Come on, we have a lot to do today!"

She got out of bed and ordered him out as she changed into her pants and blouse. She looked in the mirror and saw she was a child again. She walked down to the main floor and the Guildmaster had already prepared breakfast, his hair was still white but the wrinkles and liver spots were fewer, "Have a good day." She ran outside and her and Sammy played Heroes and Jack for hours. The older residents of Oakvale chuckled as they saw the two "love-birds" Sammy's younger sister Madlyn tagged along when they played hide and seek with the other kids and finally they went to the old docks. "Not here" she thought, "Sammy can we be anywhere but here."

"Now we're gonna play explorers, we're gonna explore that cave!" he said pointing to the cave that led to the old bandit camp.

"No!" she screamed in her head but she couldn't speak except for what she had said that day, "Let's just go home Sammy."

"No way, we can be the greatest adventurers in Oakvale!"

"I'm a venturer!" Madlyn yelled as she ran into the cave. Amara knew what happened next and she tried to look away but it happened in front of her all over again, Madlyn's scream Sammy ran after her and three pirates emerged from the cave. Sammy ran at them and stabbed one with a hunting knife he got from his father, the pirate fell over in pain but wasn't dead, the other grabbed Sammy by the throat and began to squeeze as the last one began to run towards her. She screamed and ran, she ran back to town and the pirate followed. There was a bang and he was dead, she cried and pointed and screamed towards the beach but by the time they had arrived Sammy was already dead. And she had been powerless to save him…weak…she was weak.

She awoke from the nightmare with a scream she was crying and shaking violently and Warren ran to her and held her, "I couldn't stop them…I was too weak…Sammy…"

He stroked her hair and shushed her, "It's ok, you don't have to be afraid we're here…I'm here."

She didn't stop crying until later in the night, and when she woke up the next day it was morning. "Warren, Thomas, Richard?" She heard no responses but suddenly there was a loud explosion from outside. She ran as fast as her legs would carry and when she arrived at the top she saw them. Thomas and Warren were standing, exhausted and bloody. Before them was a large man in spiky black armor in his right hand was Richard's head, thankfully Richard wasn't dead just unconscious. He turned and fixed his helm on her and the glowing red orbs beneath them struck her in the chest. But she had learned this trick, it was the same one Warren had used in Bargate and she shrugged it off and drew her sword rushing the strange man.

"Amara, NO!"

She swung, and the sword collided with the man's left hand. He looked at her and grabbed her by the throat slowly squeezing, "So this is the daughter of James and Mary Collins…I can't say I'm impressed." His grip grew tighter and she could feel the air squeezing out of her, she dropped her sword and clawed and his hand. She began to see black and feel the world fade around her. Next thing she heard was a roar and suddenly she was on the floor, a golden balverine on all fours stood between her and the man. She was terrified but when she looked closer she saw that it was a projection inside stood Warren snarling like a beast, his golden will lines glowing and projecting the Balverine Aura.

"Get away from her Marcus!"

"I had no intention of killing her I assure you. I feel it would be cruel to kill the apprentice instead of the master don't you agree murderer?"

"Leave Ruby out of this you bastard!"

"Why should I? Because of you she died, because of you one of the strongest bloodlines in Albion ceased to exist."

"You know that isn't true! What about her brother Adrian Rose?"

"That fool has shown no signs of being a Hero…besides, his sister was a fool. She would have been happier with me than with that farmer from Oakvale."

"So what, now you turn evil and run around killing whoever you please because someone took her away from you? Face the facts Marcus, Heroes are dead!"

Hearing Warren say that struck Amara in a way that no amount of pain from the past few years ever could. She looked at Warren, then Thomas, and finally Richard and Marcus. A criminal who lived in regret, a rich man who had cast off the bonds of being a hero, a crazed drug addict, and a monstrous villain. Is this all that was left of the Heroes Guild?

Marcus looked towards her and turned away, "It seems I have what I came for, I shall take Richard and leave. I can assure you though that he will not go to waste." He walked down the stairs and disappeared into darkness. They spent the next few hours treating their wounds and picking up the pieces. Finally, Amara went to go pack her weapons and some supplies into a pack.

"Where are you going?" Warren asked.

"To find real Heroes to help me."

"Help you do what, die? Did you not see what just happened, Marcus destroyed three Masters and nearly killed you…and you want to fight him? For what, revenge? Honor? Some misguided sense of duty? I will lay this out as simply as possible, if you fight him you will die!"

"And what would you rather me do, run away and hide? Like you and Thomas did for eleven years! You returned from Aurora and instead of trying to save anybody you both just ran and hid away from your responsibility! You aren't Heroes, you're cowards!"

"What is the matter with you?"

"Heroes are dead right?"

Suddenly it sunk in with Warren, he knew the meaning behind her words because he had said the same thing sixteen years ago when they first arrived in Aurora. "Fine then, if that's what you think then run on back to your Guildmaster and figure out what to do next, I'm out of here!" He grabbed his own bag and walked out the door Thomas running after him,

"Warren wait!"

"No more waiting Thomas, she doesn't want my help so I'm done…I thought her just like you asked so I'm off, have fun. Midnight!" The wolf followed him slowly glancing back at Amara with sad eyes before he followed his master. She watched as they walked off into the distance. She shouldered her pack and looked at Thomas he stared back with empty eyes before walking into Richard's tower and locking the door behind him. She walked off towards the main road and began the slow walk towards Oakvale alone.


	5. The Long Road

**Took me awhile with the last two, but I finished them. This one is split into two parts with two different viewpoints.**

The Long Road

Amara's trek back to Oakvale was cold and quiet. She felt bad about leaving Thomas behind and driving Warren away, but they were no Heroes…they were just cowards who refused to face their fate and she would show them just what she could do. She began to hum to herself on the way back trying to take her mind off it and she began to sing,

"Lo at ten morah hanin,

Sheanak forat lakim,

Toorah na se,

Em shahane."

She then realized that she had sung a song from Warren's memories, the one his mother had sung when he left for the Heroes Guild. She could feel the memories flooding in and leaned against a nearby tree, he had been anxious and afraid to leave Snowspire, but she had soothed him with her song. She felt tears running down her face again, why did she care about him, he had just forced his memories down her throat and given her an hour long test on his own powers. She stood up and shook it off, maybe it's because she pitied him all the loss and anger he felt. How he buried his pain in alcohol and women trying to repress what he saw. She let her mind wander too much and almost got hit by the wagon careening down the path,

"Watch it!" she screamed.

"Sorry, I'm just in a hurry." The driver called back.

She continued to walk down the path and eventually reached Oakvale as the sun was setting, the reflection of the sun of the ocean was a truly beautiful thing. She noticed the wagon was parked outside the master's house. She walked up and opened the door taking the stairs to the second floor two at a time. She opened the door and saw the master lying there with three others in the room. "Jon I would like you to…oh, here she is, this is the one I would like you to take care of."

The man in question was a towering mass of muscle. He turned to face him and she saw the Auroran tattoos covering his body, orange diamonds stretching over each bicep, and a purple compass on his forehead. He wore a hardened leather breastplate with a single metal shoulder guard on his left arm carved to look like the guild seal. He wore chainmail pants and plate mail boots with a pair of leather bracers. He had a large war hammer strapped to his back. His hair was in a warrior stripe and he had a goatee. He nodded solemnly and extended his hand; she shook it and looked at his companion. The boy was maybe three years older than her He had a buzz cut and a chin goatee. He wore a sleeveless top and some trousers, belted onto his body were various knives and at his belt were two hatchets. He had a crossbow and a woodsman's axe on his back. His leather boots had Knothole Glade markings on them, so she assumed that's where he was from. He nodded at her begrudgingly and looked back at the master. The master coughed violently and the third man, a doctor, wiped the blood from the master's lips. "I really wish you didn't have to see me like this child, but I can't say I'm surprised you returned."

"Why is that?"

"Because you've met Marcus, you carry his taint." He reached out weakly and she leaned in to face him, he placed his hand on her head and she felt a darkness leave her. She felt remorse for what she had said to Warren and how she had left Thomas. She almost choked on the pain that entered her heart. "Easy now child," he brought her head down to his chest, "Do not remorse, you have come along well. You have become the Hero I had dreamed you would be. Your parent's would be so proud." He wheezed at the last part, "I have been growing weaker every year and I will now tell you what you must do. You MUST go to Westcliff and get Warren; another Hero from your past will also be there. You must take a ship to Snowspire, after that he will tell you what you must do."

"But master…I…I hurt him. I said something I can't take back, and I don't think I can make up for it; and what about Thomas?"

"This many years and I haven't steered you off the course you were destined for. DO you still not trust me?"

She had her answer; she stood and looked at Jon, "Can I count on you two to help me?"

"My life is yours to command," Jon said with a bow.

"Yeah whatever," the young man said, "I'm Aaron, and so long as I can fuck up some monsters you can count on me."

Thomas sat in the darkness sweating and panting, he was too slow, too weak. "Faster, stronger, move like you're supposed to." He said as he continued to practice the martial arts he had picked up in Samarkand and Aurora. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he knew he had to eat. He pulled out some bread and ate it and went right on to meditating, channeling his Will and sustaining it. He had once held Will lines like Richard and he was determined to get them back. He would not be the weak link of their party, "Heroes are dead!" Warren had said and Thomas had believed him and when he heard Amara call them out as frauds, as cowards he knew what he had to do. He continued to train building his body, his mind and the days flew by as the only breaks he took were to eat and study Richard's notes. He didn't know what day it was or when in the day it was when he was finally satisfied. He opened the door to the tower and walked out into the sunlight, the brightness burning his eyes. He started down the path towards Westcliff and arrived at the so called Bandit Coast before embarking. He hadn't more than ten minutes down the path before being jumped by a group of Highwaymen.

"Hand over all that you've got and we might let you walk away."

He didn't flinch but kept walking right past them and snapped his fingers an Inferno spell exploding behind him as the Highwaymen screamed. He continued down the path tearing through Highwayman and Bandits until he reached the Westcliff woods, he had heard they were notorious for their balverines but he doubted that was a problem. He walked for a long time before he reached a large wooden bridge that spanned the chasm. Two men and a woman stood in his way. The man in the center spoke first, "I am Alistair, and you have stumbled into our territory."

Balverines dropped down behind him as the man and woman on the left of Alistair transformed into white balverines. He drew Excalibur and cast Blades extending the reach of his sword by making the swords line up tip to hilt. He brought them down on the male white balverine splitting him in two. "Azazel!" Alistair cried lunging at Thomas with the other balverines. "Stop Time." Thomas said freezing the balverines in place. "Light-Blades." The swords circled him glowing bright before seeking out every target and pinning them to the ground. The lesser balverines died while the woman and Alistair reverted to human form. "I swear to Skorm I will rip out your throat and drink your blood!"

"Ice Storm." Thomas said launching frozen projectile into his body until nothing but a torn up corpse remained. He looked to the woman and she fixed him with a fearful gaze, "Does this bridge lead to the Westcliff camp?"

"Yes, yes it does!"

"Good, I'll be on my way miss?"

"Lilith…my name is Lilith."

"Well just be smarter in the future…attacking Heroes will be the death of you."

He walked into the camp and noticed a small bar where his old friend's wolf sat out front, "Hello Midnight, any idea where I can find Warren." The dog pointed it's snout towards a table where his master was already three liquor bottles deep and still going. He walked up and motioned to the waitress to bring him some wine, "Warren, you need to get up."

"Why should I?" he said in a slurred voice, "You don't need me, the girl doesn't need me, no one needs a washed up failure of a Hero who can't even fight."

"Then get your ass out of the gutter and come with me."

They walked up the stairs to the Crucible and he looked at the two announcers, "Hello I'm Martin Dress, and this is my partner Shadow Hawk, what can we do for you?"

"I'd like to fight this man in the Crucible real quick."

"I'm sorry, but that's against the rules."

He handed them a big bag of gold, "Make an exception."

They stood there slack jawed, "Yes sir!"

He and Warren stood at the roof of the Crucible the large stone floor slick with rain as it continued to pour around them. "Come on Warren, even drunk I know you're more than a match for me. Show me the Hero I know you are." He drew his gun and began to fire in rapid concession Warren dodging them at the last second, making it look like a fluke. "Take this seriously; I will end your life if you don't fight me!"

Warren looked at him venomously and drew his sword, and they began to run in a circle keeping their eyes on one another occasionally jumping in to clash before running off again. Thomas fired his pistol only to have Warren slice the bullets in half.

"Slow Time."

"Slow Time."

The rain fell slowly around them as they clashed once more, sending waves of energy out with each blow. Warren rushed him with his left hand drawn back, "Shock-Force Push!"

He felt the wind leave his lungs as the electrifying punch rocked his body. He raised his arm weakly and with a flick of his wrist a fireball flew at Warren and it exploded with power. They both stood there exhausted and angry until Warren turned and vomited from the booze.

"Dammit Thomas now I'm sober! You owe me a drink!"

Thomas laughed and patted Warren on the shoulder, "I'll buy you fifty my friend, and it's good to have you back."

"I'm holding you to that fifty."

Suddenly a slow clap resounded near the exit, "Touching, truly touching, but unfortunately I don't go for the mushy crap!"

They turned to see a young man in black and red monk's robes he had black curly hair and a moustache-goatee combo. "Doesn't this kid remind you of someone?"

"Alsain the Wicked."

"Ah, so you met father! You may know me as Django the Malevolent!"

"Not very original are you?"

"I think it matters little seeing as you'll be dead soon and my master will give me my deepest desire!"

"Oh, and this wouldn't happen to be Marcus would it?"

"The very same, now be good failures and die for me?"

"Warren, do you want to show this kid why they called us Light and Shadow?"

Warren steadied his blade, "It'll be my pleasure. Blades!" The swords extended the same way Thomas' had; the only difference was that Warren was much faster. He leaped in towards Django, a maelstrom of fury and death. Swinging, doubling back, and leaping overhead. His attacks met resistance though as a black sphere surrounded Django. "I've never seen a spell like that before." Thomas said.

"It's simple really," Django said as the sphere dissipated, "You weave together Darkness and Barrier." His Will lines flared up red and his red iris' seemed to glow as well. "Dark Blades" He stood there as the swords multiplied into the hundreds, black blades centering on Warren and Thomas.

"I didn't know he could do that," Warren said, "did you know he could do that?"

"No," Thomas said, "But if his Will level is at this proficiency and mastery at such a young age I guess we'd better show him our aces."

"Alright, wait do you mean the Auroran Battle Avatars?"

"I do indeed."

Warren's Will lines surfaced with their usual golden glow before his body was encased within the golden balverine. Thomas's glowed a bright aquamarine and the chicken appeared around him. "Light Blades!" The chicken extended its wings and glowing golden swords appeared that matched Django's. Then the blades launched, light clashing with dark beams of light exploding over the tower. Warren dodging the blades with inhuman speed he began to close the distance to Django as Thomas' blades began to overpower and outnumber Django's. Django tried to raise his dark barrier, but Warren sliced right through it and had Django by the throat. "Game's over kid, we win!"

"Quite the contrary, because now my master knows all that you are capable of." With a snap of his fingers Django faded into darkness.

"Let him know," Thomas stated, "because we are stronger than we were last time."

As they exited the Crucible and began to walk back to the bar, laughing and reenacting the battle, a few familiar faces showed themselves. "I saw the explosions," she cried running up to them, "Are you ok?"

It had been a while since Warren had seen Jon or Amara. She did indeed look different, like she was glowing almost and any doubt, anger, or fear he had seen when she faced Marcus was gone. And Jon looked as strong as ever but he seemed more…sad. "We're fine," Thomas replied, "Just getting used to being true Heroes again." As Amara looked from Warren to Thomas she saw it. Thomas had natural Will lines like Richard, and Warren's eyes burned with a determination she hadn't seen once since she met him. And the auras they gave off were staggering it was like standing in the presence of…well…a Hero.

"It's good to have you back." Jon stated, "It seems that finally all of us have returned to the Hero ways."

"It seems like it," said Warren, "but we still have to get Richard and stop Marcus."

"And we'll need a ship." Said Amara.

"I believe I can help you with that." A strange new woman called as she walked towards them.

Amara turned to face her and was awestruck, "Madlyn?"

"That's Queen Madlyn to you, Madlyn the Pirate Queen."


	6. The Battle of Hook Coast

**Sorry about the delay and the revisions to the chapters before, I went through and realized a few things didn't add up so I fixed them.**

The Battle of Hook Coast

Amara couldn't believe her eyes, before her stood Madlyn, Sammy's little sister who years before had been kidnapped by pirates. She was very different, she wore a blouse and a leather vest and some highwayman's trousers and leather boots and a captain's hat and bandana. Her usual blue eyes seemed to be venom green and she had a long scar running from her cheekbone to her chin. "What happened to you?"

"Well, the pirates originally kidnapped me as a slave to clean, cook and…serve them…but the captain realized the skill I had at navigating and avoiding capture when I would run away, so he made me one of his officers and began to train me. He must've been surprised when I led a mutiny against him and seized the ship for the slaves and lesser crew members. We sailed the seas defeating other pirates and claiming their ships. Before I knew it they were calling me the Slave Queen of the Pirates and so I took the name to heart."

"So all those years I searched for you…you were doing alright for yourself…and about Sammy…I'm so sorry."

Madlyn held up her hand, "It's in the past. So where do you need to go?"

Warren stepped in, "Hook Coast if you don't mind, I would like to meet a few people there so we can gather supplies for an expedition to a nearby Hero Temple."

"Sounds like a plan, I'll ready the crew and you can meet us when you're ready to set sail! Later Amara, it was good to see you."

Amara sighed with joy as Madlyn walked away, barely noticing that Warren, Jon, and Thomas had convened at the bar. "So what do you think?" Warren said.

"I could sense the venom dripping from that one," Jon replied, "whatever sweet girl she was once is gone. She is indeed a pirate and I'm not sure if she can be trusted."

"I sensed something else about her," Thomas said, "I agree with Jon that we should be wary, because something about her feels off to me."

Warren walked back to Amara and she looked at him, "Why didn't you tell her we were going to Snowspire?"

"Because there's something about her I don't trust. Her eyes were those of someone who has felt the sweet taste of sin and is constantly engaged in it. Believe me, we corrupt Heroes can tell one another apart. Like that Aaron kid. He's not in this for the money or the fame; he's in it for the blood."

"So is that what it is for you, money and fame?"

"No, my corruption comes from the indulgence of desire; desire for alcohol to numb the pain, desire for companionship to feel love even for a fleeting moment, desire for freedom so I can throw away responsibility. But I'm done running now. I have to face the music and grow up, the part of me that's afraid will always be there, but embracing that fear and conquering it is what makes me a Hero."

"How do I know you've changed?"

"I'll prove that both Thomas and I have changed."

Warren brought Thomas over, "What do you fear most among the world?"

"Being forgotten…it's why I became rich. Build statues, contribute to charities, and make a name for myself for the history books. But that was cowardice. Now I will make a name for myself by stopping Marcus and rebuilding the Guild."

"What about you Warren?" Amara asked, "What do you fear?"

"Being weak," He replied, "I was too weak to save Ruby, too weak to stop Marcus, and too weak to pick up the pieces. But now I realize that drinking and running was more weakness it wasn't being smart and staying alive. It was running from a fight. You sharpen a blade by putting it to the stone not leaving it in the mud."

"Loneliness." She replied.

"What?"

"Being alone. The reason I sought out others like me, the reason I was always dependent on others. I didn't want to be alone."

"Amara," Warren said looking her in the eyes, "You are never alone, and I promise you that I will not let you feel the fear of isolation."

She nodded, "Well now that that's out of the way what do we say we hop on that boat and head out to Hook Coast?"

It was not long before they were out on the open sea heading straight for Hook Coast, and although Jon was back he still felt like they were underprepared for this expedition. "Hey, so you're Warren Mest the Balver Knight?" He turned to see the young man Aaron standing behind him. Apparently that title still meant something because everyone on the deck went silent. Midnight growled at Aaron and Warren held up his hand. "I am, why?"

Aaron got on one knee and bowed, "It is an honor to meet you, my name is Aaron Carver, son of Hunter Carver the Woodcutter."

"Hunter Carver, now that's a name I haven't heard in a while. So you are the son of the legendary Balverine Slayer. But I thought all the firstborn sons were called Hunter in continuation of the clan?"

"I would have been, if my mother hadn't given birth to me after my father died in the Fall of the Guild. Jon appeared when I was ten and took me under his wing. He helped my mother with money and helped the village by defending it from monsters. He trained me to fight like a Hero and a few things I learned myself. But he said I always had a problem with my anger, and although he says it's a weakness I have always used it to my advantage against the Balverines."

"Anger isn't a weakness if it is righteous; to want to kill out of vengeance or bloodlust clouds the mind. When you fight, you must have clarity."

"Thank you Balver Knight, I will take this lesson to heart."

Warren walked over to Jon, "Your apprentice is way too serious."

Jon laughed, "He can be a handful at times, but he has a good head on his shoulders, and is very compassionate underneath that prickly exterior."

"Well I for one trust him, and I can say you made the right decision."

"I could say the same for you, Amara is a bright girl, and you and Thomas have trained her well."

Madlyn interrupted them, "Sorry to step in on the conversation, but did he just say your name was Warren Mest?"

Warren did not like this girl, there was something about her that irritated him, "He did…what of it?"

"My name…my full name…is Madlyn Scarlet Rose. My father named me that after his fallen sister…before he hung himself."

Warren stood there in shock, "Your father wasn't Sammy's dad…it was…"

"Adrian Rose…my Aunt was Ruby Rose…Sammy was my cousin. I never told Amara."

Warren slumped against the railing, "Then her bloodline is dead…but you…you possess Adrian's blood?"

"Last time I checked yeah, my blood is his."

"Then the bloodline has not yet died out…this is very good."

"Yeah, thanks for that I guess…but uh, you mind telling me why they call you the Balver Knight?"

He looked up, "There was a rumor that circulated for a while…of a Hero who possessed the speed and strength of a Balverine…they said that he gained his power by drinking Balverine's blood…and that under a full moon he would become a golden Balverine. All rumors though, last time I checked I down drink Balverine's dry."

"Ok, then what's with the wolf that follows you around?"

"Midnight is my companion; he serves me as a friend and a protector. That is all you need to know."

"Well how did you tame him?"

"Black magic and Balverine blood, what's it to you."

"Just curious." She said, her eyes flashing with mischief. "You don't like me much do you?"

Jon cut in, "Warren doesn't warm up to others easily. We have a saying in Aurora 'To get a cactus to bear fruit you must be patient, and avoid the needles.'"

"You've got a lot of needles don't you Warren?"

Warren growled at her and she backed away laughing. "You must be cautious my friend," Jon said, "Regardless of whether you trust or like her, we need her to take us to Hook Coast."

"We'll be arriving at our destination in three hours, prepare yourselves for departure!" yelled the man in the crow's nest.

Three hours later, they had arrived in Hook Coast and were stepping off onto the cold ground. Warren took in a deep breath and sighed with relief smiling. "We're here!"

Amara had thrown on a fur coat to stay warm and it seemed most of the crew had done the same. Thomas had slipped on a pair of gloves and a scarf, buttoning up his jacket. Jon and Aaron had slipped on fur coats as well to keep out the cold. Only Warren seemed to be dressed the same, his bare chest welcoming the cold as Midnight danced around in the snow. "Well we're here," Madlyn said, "You can complete your business and we'll be waiting for you to return." Amara waved as they walked off following Warren. They walked for a while through the streets before Warren entered a store where the store owner was busy taking inventory.

"La ha'ol minashem."

The store owner wheeled around and his jaw dropped in surprise and joy, "Warutien Mest! Welcome, it has been many a year since you left for the Heroes Guild! I was afraid you had died when the Guild fell, but then I heard of a Hero who spoke to the wolves and had the powers of a Balverine and I knew that it must be none other than little Warutien all grown!"

Warren embraced him and they both laughed chatting away in the language used by the denizens of Snowspire. "So what do you need my friend?"

"A trip home would be nice; I have to take my friends there to visit the Keep."

The man looked afraid, "Warutien, do you mean to show them the Vault? What dangers do we face for you to seek out it out?"

"I do not know minashem, but an old Hero has embraced the power of the Void, and I believe he is training others to do so. He kidnapped one of my friends who is an expert on the workings of Will and the Old Kingdom, and I fear he has plans that could destroy Albion as we know it."

"Oracle help us…I shall take you to Snowspire Warutien…be safe…your mother prayed for you every day, and I would hate to tell her of your passing."

"Thank you minashem, I'll have a boat ready for you by the time you are done packing…may the Oracle bless you."

"And may your future remain bright as the stars you were born under Warutien."

As they left the store Amara asked him, "What does your name mean, Warutien?

"It means 'Wolf Fang.' I was born during the year of the Wolf, to the Hero Fang…my mother was a priestess and I have always had an affinity with wolves and other animals. It is my birth right and my gift."

"And minashem?"

"It means 'brother'; he was a servant in my father's house. We were close."

As they walked down to the dock, Madlyn and her crew stood at the pier with a strange man in a black and red robe. "Oh shit, you have got to be kidding me!"

As Warren finished that statement Marcus began to walk down the deck with his helmet tucked under his arm. He had pale grey skin with small black horns and red eyes. Dark purple will lines traced over his face and made the whites of his eyes glow purple as well. "Well so it seems that we are all gathered here. I see you have met Madlyn."

Amara looked on in shock, "Madlyn…how…how could you?"

Madlyn shrugged nonchalantly, "What can I say, he offered me power and riches beyond my wildest dreams…who am I to argue?"

Django turned and looked at them, "It's not her fault, and the Master will not be denied."

Marcus put the spiked helm over his head and slid the face mask into place so that only his red eyes could be seen. "And now I shall end this pitiful resistance. It's a shame; I had high hopes for you Warren."

"I don't need your pity Marcus."

Warren drew his sword, and the other's followed suit. Thomas readied his aim and kept Excalibur ready at his side. Jon rest his hammer on his shoulder, the augments making lightning, ice, and fire swirl around the head of the hammer. Aaron spun his two hatchets and began to crouch, ready to run into the fray. Amara pulled out her bow, and Warren's memories flashed through her head again. She saw the weak points of the pirates and was able to rapidly calculate the distance, strength, wind resistance, and elevation. The pirates drew their pistols and cutlasses and let out a roar. Time seemed to slow down for Amara as she zeroed in on the pirates and their weak spots. "Separate!" Warren screamed as the other Heroes moved out of Amara's way as the arrows flew striking pirates in the legs, the chest, and the head with such speed and accuracy that the enemy Heroes barely had time to respond. Madlyn fired her pistol and the bow broke. The white wood and pink paint shattered and the world stopped for Amara. Her mother's gift to her, she had made it in anticipation of her birth and had given it to the Guild master. The tears flowed and Amara's scream pierced the port as she fell to her knees. Warren turned and ran back to her and shook her bringing her eyes to meet his, "Amara, I need you here we need you pull it together."

"Mom's bow…she…"

"Pull it together, we need you here."

Thomas and Django had already engaged each other their Will powers clashing in flashes of white and black wisps Light and Shadow clashing like a battle of the divine and the damned. Aaron and Madlyn were engaged in a dance of death her cutlasses and his hatchets a rhythmic clang with the metal. The blood lust consumed Aaron's eyes, "Let's up the tempo!" He cried madly as his arms became a flurry and the blow's increased. Marcus and Jon clashed the mace and hammer striking and making a sound like a forge. Warren helped her rise and he looked deep into her eyes, "I need you to sit here for me. Don't worry, I will protect you." He turned his back to her and she saw the wolf on his jacket and he entered the battle. The heart of his blade glowed blue and pale azure flames danced across the black surface. "The Will of Fire…how many years has it been since I've seen it?" Marcus asked.

"At least 20…but I was only 10 at the time."

"True…but now we shall see if your flames are as pitiful as they were then."

Warren jumped in and Jon stepped aside as the blade collided and a sea of blue flames washed over Marcus. A black sphere was summoned then dissipated by the flames. "What is this?" Marcus cried in surprise.

"These flames are an extension of my Will. They are as strong as any spell I can throw at you."

Madlyn and Django must have been distracted seeing their master take a hit like that, because Aaron and Thomas overpowered them in an instant. Django lay on his back facing the glittering golden blade pointed at his throat and the pistol aimed down at him for good measure. Aaron wrestled Madlyn to the ground and held her pinned, "So…come here often?" she said with a smirk. As the flames dissipated Marcus stood there unharmed but with scorched armor. His mace a molten glob in his hands, "It seems you've done some growing up in the past 20 years. When I attacked you at the tower you were a washed up husk and I was honestly ashamed that Ruby had chosen you as her apprentice. I offered to let you join me, and…what did you say?"

"Blow it out your ass."

"Ah yes…but now it hasn't been but a month and you are already leaps and bounds ahead of where you were. What changed?"

"A stubborn little girl and a fancy rich man pulled me out of my pit and made me a Hero once more."

"Indeed…it seems I can't underestimate you anymore…Django, Madlyn, we're leaving."

The three of them faded into shadows and all that was left were the corpses and the boat. They sat there panting and relishing their small victory. "Warutien, what happened here?"

Warren looked back at the shop keeper, "I told you I'd get you a boat!"

**Please read and review, it helps me grow as a writer!**


	7. The Vault

The Vault

They arrived in Snowspire, and immediately set off for the village. The creatures of this land were strange all encased in ice; but Warren knew how to navigate around them and when that wasn't enough he could defeat the quickly. They kept on moving until they reached a large shrine and a bronze gate. Thomas fell to his knees in awe, "Is…is that?"

"Behind that gate is the site of the ancient and hallowed final battle between the Hero of Oakvale and Jack of Blades."

Thomas began to cry, Jon bowed his head reverently, and Aaron clutched at his chest, "I can still feel the power emanating from that place…such energy…"

"The power of the Void tends to taint things like that…you could feel it on Marcus…but here it is of a much larger magnitude. You can still feel the evil of Jack, because I believe that even though the mask was cast into the lava, his taint has yet to leave that place. Come, let us continue."

Amara looked at the gate before they left, and she could see what Warren meant. The area around the gate seemed to emanate a dark red light. As they entered the village people seemed to turn and cheer, it was only one word, "Hara!"

"Why are they saying hope?"

"To the people of Snowspire, Heroes are a gift from the Oracle…they retain the ways of the Old Kingdom."

"Hope…a hope for a new future?"

"Heroes shape their own destiny as well as the destinies of the people they meet…we are a hope for a better future."

She saw what he meant, "So you were a bit of a sanctimonious Hero when you were a kid weren't you?" she teased.

"What? No!" He replied blushing.

"Oh you have no idea," Thomas replied, "Thomas as a Will user; it is your sacred obligation to use your powers to shape the future of mankind for the better, and to prevent cruel people like Richard and Alsain from ruling the world!"

"I…I did not sound like that!" Warren stammered.

"Jon, as an Auroran Hero you must be a champion of justice for your homeland." Jon chimed in.

"Oh now you're just ganging up on me!"

Amara couldn't help laughing, she had never seen Warren so out of his element before. It was a little amusing. But she never could have prepared herself for what came next. "WARUTIEN!" an old woman yelled storming up to him.

"Mater, la ha'ol!"

She walked up and the resounding slap echoed through the town, "Twenty years…TWENTY YEARS and not a SINGLE visit to your poor old mother! For all you could have known Balverines could have eaten me!"

"That would have to be a pretty stupid Balverine." He joked.

"And what of your father!? He's been worried sick about you! After the Collins' and Roses' passed, he had no friends left. He thought you had died!" She looked over his shoulder, "Who are these people?"

He reined her in, "Mother, these are my companions…Midnight, Thomas Cluck, Jon Rutaru, Aaron Carver, and Amara Collins."

"Carver? Collins? So then…these are?"

"Their children…Aaron is Jon's apprentice and Amara is Thomas'"

"So she's not your apprentice? Then are you and her?" She said with a raised eyebrow.

"Mother!"

The old woman laughed, "I am joking darling, have a little faith in your old mum's intuition. This boy…even as a child it was all about adventures…never had time for his prayers."

"Warren…as a child…this I have to hear." Thomas said.

"And I would like to meet this legendary Hero Fang…he is a legend, even in Aurora." Jon added.

"Then come along to the house, I was just about to make some soup!"

The house was more like a mansion, as it was the biggest estate in Snowspire. There were indeed servants, and even the servants kids were at work. Warren seemed completely different to Amara, running around chasing kids and playing Heroes. Regaling the servants with his tales and shaking hands and smiling sincerely for once. She also saw his father, and saw where Warren got his looks. His father was a mountain of a man, with shoulder length black hair and a full beard. He had piercing golden eyes and his laugh was completely the same. She got wrapped up in the festivities too and began to drift around the house taking it all in. Warren was in the middle of entertaining when Aaron tapped him on the shoulder, "May I speak with you?"

He followed Aaron up to his room and sat down in a chair, "So what's on your mind?"

Aaron seemed very nervous and embarrassed, "How…how can you tell if a girl likes you…or if you like her?"

"Did one of the servants play grab ass with you?"

"What? No!" He replied quickly, "It's…its Madlyn…"

Warren bolted upright, "Is she here right now!?"

"No, it's…when we were on our way to Hook Coast, I would catch her…staring at me…and she would flirt…but I didn't know if she was trying to gain secrets or being sincere…and…I kind of like her…so…what do you think?"

Warren didn't know how to respond so he tried a joke, "You want to sleep with her!"

"What? No, I never…well maybe down the road…where are you going with this?"

"Relax; I was just trying to give myself time to think about this…do you love her?"

"I…I guess so…"

"Then see how it goes…once this is over…once Marcus' taint is gone…then you can ask her if she feels the same…but you gotta get that berserker thing under control…try to show her you are a bit more sensitive."

"Thanks…and good luck with Amara."

This caught Warren off guard, "Wait what?"

"You mean you haven't noticed how she idolizes you? How she speaks more highly of you than of Jon or Thomas? The way she looks at you when she thinks no one else sees?"

"I…I hadn't…"

"Well…to the best for both of us."

"Indeed…"

After the dinner and a good night's sleep, Warren roused everyone and told them to put on heavy winter clothing. "We'll be leaving soon. Bring what you need, nothing else." Aaron grabbed his woodcutter's axe and his crossbow, leaving the hatchets and knives behind. Amara left her mother's knife in exchange for the one Warren had made her, grabbing the Black Panther, she went towards the door. Warren stopped her on the way out and handed her his bow. "Isn't this your bow?"

"Solaris…it is made from rare Auroran Whitewood, and is designed to harness fire and light to make the arrows stronger. I think it'd be better in your hands…you handle a bow much better than I do."

The gift was so gracious, "Thank you…"

They began to head out; Warren had left Midnight at the mansion, much to Midnight's protest. Warren led them to a place that he called the gates to the Necropolis. "Here," he said moving aside some brush, "This path will lead us to Snowspire Keep…the last remaining fortress of the Old Kingdom." They walked for what seemed like an eternity before they reached a large black marble gate. Warren eased it open slowly and walked inside, "Be on your guard." Amara drew Solaris, as Aaron drew his crossbow. Warren and Jon took the lead with hammer and blade ready, Thomas taking the middle two fireballs alight in his hands. They entered the courtyard and Aaron walked towards a statue.

"This thing is freaky." He said extending his hand.

"No DON'T!" Warren screamed. Too late, the statues eyes glowed red and it batted Aaron across the courtyard. "Sentinels!"

The other three statues in the corners of the courtyard came to life and stepped off their pedestals. The one that smacked Aaron didn't get the chance as Jon's hammer turned it into gravel. Thomas threw fireballs in rapid succession turning another Sentinel into a glowing orange man, he then wove together Vortex and Ice Storm summoning a blizzard to flash freeze it. As it froze, it began to crack and break. "Force Push!" The impact turned the statue into glittering dust as it fell to the ground.

"Amara! Blind them!"

She drew back the bowstring and fired an arrow into the air; it was a bright as the summer sun. She heard hacking and slashing and when the light faded they were in large piles of rubble. Warren walked over and helped up Aaron, "Skorm's arse hole, that statue sucker-punched me."

"Well I'm sure that's not the only defense they'll…" Warren was cut off as an Ice Troll appeared from the ground. It's roar was cut short as Aaron's ax wedged itself halfway through its skull, "I am NOT in the mood for you right now!" Aaron screamed. The Ice Troll began to fracture and fall apart. Thomas melted it for good measure, but Aaron was furious. "The damn statues broke my crossbow!"

"Don't worry Aaron…we're here for weapons anyway."

They continued to follow Warren further and further down the Keep until finally they reached a large door with the Guild Seal on it. "Thomas, Jon, will you please stand on these panels and summon your Avatars?" Thomas stood on a panel that began to glow red, he soon became encased in an aquamarine chicken. Jon stood on a circle and it glowed blue, an orange rock troll encasing his frame. Finally Warren stepped on a panel and it began to glow yellow, the golden balverine encased his frame. "Amara, will you please step on the center panel?"

"Um…sure, but why?"

"Because years ago I locked this door so that only three Heroes of a single discipline and one Hero of all three could open it."

She did as she was told, and a white light surrounded her. Her will lines glowed and two wings appeared at her back, pristine white with blue lines. Thomas's jaw dropped, "Well I'll be damned…"

"I knew she was special." Jon replied.

The doors creaked open and the light faded from the panel's their Avatars fading as well. "What was that, what do you mean I'm special?"

Warren looked her in the eyes and spoke sternly, "Your father James Collins was a descendant of the Hero of Oakvale…his brother was Marcus…they were both destined for greatness, but Marcus fell when Ruby died...he became obsessed with the power of the Void and the Necromancer Scythe…he wanted to bring Ruby back from the dead…"

"So…so I'm?"

"You are descended from the Hero of Oakvale…Master of the Guild…Hero among Heroes…You are a Hero."

She dropped to her knees, the gravity of it all hitting her like a blow from Jon's hammer. She was a descendant of the Hero of Oakvale…she was destined to stop Marcus and save the world. She stood, her resolution absolute, "What would you have me do?"

Warren smiled, "Follow me." They entered The Vault and within was a sea of Heroic weapons and armor, tomes of ancient and arcane knowledge, relics of the Old Kingdom still functional and radiating with power. He walked to one weapon rack where she saw two blades resting; the plaque above it read "Collin's Three" on it sat a massive steel blade and a slender crystal blade like the Black Panther. She set the Black Panther in the middle slot and completed the set; tears began to well up in her eyes as she gazed upon her father's masterpieces. She picked up her mother's blade and held it close. "Cherub…a blade made to destroy the Will to fight…I think it would be prefect for you to use." Warren said.

She turned to face him, "Thank you Warren…I…I can't thank you enough…"

"Well…I can think of one way…"

She wiped the tears from her eyes, "Are you…are you trying to ask me to sleep with you?"

"NO…no I uh…when this is all over…if we're alive and all…would you maybe…want to live with me?"

"Like…marriage?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet, I mean…you're still young…and I'm…"

"Yes…"

"Excuse me?"

"The answer is yes Warren…"

He choked for a minute and then pulled her in for a sudden kiss. She was taken off guard, but she let herself embrace him and savor the taste of his lips. "Ok, but if this is going to work, the beard has got to go."

"But…but it makes me look manly…" He said pitifully.

"You are the worst."

"And you're the best."

Thomas coughed behind them, "Hope I'm not interrupting, but uh…we do have to save the world and all that."

"Right…that…that's right…Thomas if you and the others will follow me."

He led them around gathering bit and pieces of weaponry, "Jon, these are the Glove of Tannar…if you thought you were strong now…guess again." He handed the intricate bronze gauntlets to Jon. "Thomas…these are Maze's gauntlet's…recovered by the Hero of Oakvale at the original Battle of Hook Coast." He fit the blue and gold gauntlets on and his Will lines flared up brightly, "Woah! This power…it's incredible!"

"How do you think the rest of us feel when we wear them?" He pulled out a strange rifle and handed it to Aaron. The rifle itself looked to be made out of red cedar, and the barrel of the gun was shaped like a Balverine's head. "The Scarlet Robe…a gun your father made to honor the greatest Balverine Slayer to ever live."

Aaron looked dumbstruck, "By Avo…"

"Thomas, there's a relic in the center of the room that should help us locate Marcus, take Jon and Aaron…I…I have to do something first."

He pulled Amara aside and brought her to a sarcophagus with a rose chiseled into it. He removed the lid and inside, lay Ruby's corpse. He reached inside and removed her scythe and a pistol. "I am sorry to disturb you, but I must take these to put an end to Marcus…he has gone too far with this latest stunt of his."

He turned to face Amara and showed he the scythe, "Black Rose…it is the flower that grows in the night…and the Reaver," he said showing the pistol, "a gun that utterly destroys it's opponents."

"Over here, we found him!" Thomas yelled.

They ran into the central chamber where Thomas pointed at a map where there were a gathering of ships off the coast of what she assumed was Aurora. "Here…he's excavating a temple…I don't know why, but it seems that he really wants whatever's inside."

"Archon's Looking Glass…" Jon stated.

"What?"

"It is a relic that allows one to see through time, space, even into other realms…it was speculated that Archon himself could use it to travel between this realm and the Void…I believe Marcus wishes to enter the Void and strike a deal to save Ruby's life."

"Please, Marcus has a lot smarter than that Jon, think bigger…"

Jon thought for a while, "He intends to release the beasts of the Void into this world…and plunge it into darkness…"

"The New Kingdom…"

Amara slammed her fist down on the map. "Then we go to them…we're taking the fight to Marcus!"

Warren grinned wildly, he liked her when she was angry, "Alright then…I'll go tell my family to ready the ship…we're now officially at war."


	8. The Sea of Sand and Blood

**I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter, but in order to have the ending I wanted I split the fight against Marcus and his forces into two parts. Please read, and review.**

The Sea of Sand and Blood

Warren stood at the helm with the others, their new weapons and gear shimmering in the sun. Thomas gazed into the horizon determined, the boat they were on creaked and groaned with the tide. "Thomas, how close are we?"

He pulled a map and compass out of his pocket, "We're about 100 miles away, what is your plan?"

"Well Marcus is bound to have more than the Heroes we saw last time, so I say we make everything even. Aaron, Jon, and my Father will engage Madlyn and her forces after we've provided sufficient Will support. Then You, Amara, and I will enter into the temple to stop Marcus and anyone else he may have in hiding. Sound like a good enough plan?"

Warren's father hefted his double-bladed sword, "Holtekin always hungers for more blood!"

"Well then get ready to feed that blade; we're going to need it!"

As they neared the site of the soon to be bloody and chaotic battle Warren took Amara aside. "Listen, I know you feel like you have to kill Marcus, but you don't have to prove anything to me…Marcus was my problem since day one…and I intend to rectify that error."

She grinned at him maliciously, "Likewise…don't think he's your burden because of Ruby…if we do this, we do this together."

He kissed her once more, "You have no idea how bewitching you are."

"Oh I know…but I use that to my advantage."

Warren chuckled and led her back to the wheel and he continued to steer the ship. After many hours they arrived at the cape. They saw the ships in the distance and decided to use the cover of night to launch their attack. At nightfall they began to move into position, unfortunately it is not so easy to sneak up on Heroes. Madlyn's flagship opened fire, and the cannon balls whistled overhead and crashed into the ship. "Son of a bitch; FIRE!" Thomas opened his hand and a meteor whizzed out at high speeds shattering one of her ships completely. The kick had knocked Thomas on his ass and he sat there staring at the smoking gauntlet, "Avo's beard! Did you see that!?"

They all stood in awe of the powers that had been granted to Thomas, "Don't just sit there Thomas, keep them coming!"

Jon braced Thomas as meteor after meteor shot from his gauntlets. Madlyn had her own Will user in her pocket as any projectile approaching her ship ricocheted off into the ocean. Then a group of fireballs shot over the bough and into Warren's ship. The ship burst into flames and everyone scattered. "What do we do?" Thomas asked.

Warren looked to Amara and she simply nodded to him, "Ramming speed!" He yelled to Aaron, "We're going to skewer the bitch!"

The ship picked up whatever speed the semi-charred sails could give her and the burning heap wrecked into her flagship, and they all leapt aboard and stared down their competition. Madlyn stood with a large mountain of a Samarkand warrior and a small Auroran shaman. "We are the Triad of Shadows…welcome to your nightmare!"

The shaman raised his hands and yelled, "Chaos!" as a purple wave washed over the Heroes ineffectively. He blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, we're stronger than that. Dad, Jon, Aaron. I leave you to your foes. Aaron, treat your date nicely okay?"

He blushed slightly and drew the Scarlet Robe, "I hope you're a good shot!"

She grinned twirling her two pistols, "I've captured flagships with a single bullet…I think I'll be fine."

The sound of gunfire was lost to them as they charged our way off the ship, and into the temple. Warren reached the entrance way and stared into the darkness, a cold, evil wind washed over them with a strong gust. Warren shuddered and Amara gripped his hand tightly a warm feeling washed over his body and he felt a sense of calm. Thomas extended his palm and a cool blue light washed over the walls from the glowing palm of the gauntlets. "Shall we go?"

Back at the ship, the fighting was a standstill between the two sides. Fang had started it by addressing the Samarkandian, "You are Lightning are you not? Grandson of the Hero Whisper?"

"I am," he replied, "And you must be the Hero Fang, the Champion of Snowspire? I sparred with your son when we were younger?"

"That we did…little did I know Marcus would take you under his wing when you grew up…so you really think you can take on me? The father of Warutien?"

"That I do…because your son was a pathetic whelp…I can hope you last longer in the ring than he ever did."

Fang had had enough, with one quick rush he had broken Lightning's nose, "I will not stand to have you disgrace my son…now draw your weapon…or I'll draw it for you."

Lightning blinked back tears as he held his bloody nose and drew the battle-axe with one hand. They clashed, and the shockwaves destroyed the masts on Madlyn's ship. The firefight between Aaron and Madlyn had gone on for too long, and the two of them had engaged in combat. Madlyn's two cutlasses were whirlwinds of madness as she ducked in, drew back, and spun around Aaron like a mad ballerina. "What's the matter Aaaaron," she taunted, "Not as easy when your opponent is actually trying is it?"

Aaron was on the defensive the whole time with his hatchets and kept trying to find an opening. Jon was having an easier time; the Auroran was so terrified at the sight of Tannar's gauntlets he had fallen to his knees begging for mercy before the fight had begun. Jon's reputation as a 'Stonewall' was not exaggerated, as he caved in the man's skull with one blow from his hammer before aiding Aaron. He swung his hammer into Madlyn's chest and she hit the railing and flew into the ocean. "Master, no!" Aaron cried as he dove in after her to save her from drowning. Underneath the water Madlyn slowly sank into the dark water, humbly accepting the death she had waited so long for before the world went dark around her.

Warren and his company continued down the long staircase until they reached a single empty chamber where Django stood. "It's about time you arrived here Thomas…I was getting bored." Against the far wall with a strange collar and clasps on his arms and legs was Richard, the will lines on his body flickering as the red glow from Django's illuminated the room. The gauntlets on his hands were covering in wisps of shadow.

"You're draining his mana to fuel your own Will energy!"

Django rolled his eyes, "You make it sound like I'm…I don't know…not evil?"

Thomas' eyes filled with pure hate and the aquamarine chicken formed around his body as he floated in the air. His eyes were nothing but azure light, and his Will lines glowed so bright that the red glare faded completely from the room. "I will destroy you! You worthlessly miserable flea!" His voice boomed like thunder in the chamber. It was like being in the presence of a god. Django trembled in fear and his Will lines seemed to fade as the light grew. The chicken's wing broke the restraints holding Richard and the process happened with Richard as well. An Emerald Snake encased his and his eyes glowed with ethereal fury. They two 'Gods' loomed over Django and he cringed in the corner. A hand touched Warren's shoulder as Amara shook him of the illusion, Thomas and Richard stood there with their hands extended. Purple tendrils of smoke snaked from their hands and covered the room like a fog. Django was crumpled in the corner a mask of tragedy hung over his face. "Chaos? So it was all…"

"An illusion," Amara replied, "Thomas wanted to stop Django without killing him…much to Richard's objections."

"When did the illusion start?"

"About the time that he shouted at Django about being a worthless miserable flea."

"Do you two have it covered?" Warren asked Thomas.

"Yes, it requires a lot of power to keep the door to his mind open and keep the nightmare going, so if you want to do something make it quick…me and Richard can hold him for at least an hour…now go!"

Warren and Amara left the chamber and began the long descent down the spiral staircase to their right.

Madlyn awoke on the deck of her ship; she looked around and saw Lightning sitting across from her with only one arm. "Lightning!" She started but then looked up to see the two towers of vengeance standing over her. The legendary Champion of Snowspire and Stonewall of Aurora. They glowered at her with auras of sheer hate. The pressure of it made it hard for her to breath. A hand touched her face and she looked to see Aaron, the kid who she had been fighting. She remembered everything, the fight, the hammer blow, and then the darkness. Her clothes were wet, had he dived in to save her?

"You're safe; they aren't going to harm you." He said with a calm voice.

"I don't need your pity…you should have just killed me."

"That can be arranged." Fang said lowering his blade.

She stared at it in horror until Aaron blocked her view of it, "A wise man once told me that I must not let my bloodlust rule me…that a true warrior is not only strong…but merciful."

Jon lowered his head in shame and looked at Aaron, "You are a much better warrior than I, Aaron Carver…I ended a man's life because of the hate I held for his cause…you have learned much from me…it is time I learned from you. Madlyn of the pirates…if you wish to die, then Fang will gladly oblige…but if you wish to live…you must atone for your actions…and I can think of no greater man to keep you on that path than Aaron."

She looked at him and saw him blushing, "Oh I get it…saddle me up with my parole officer and hope that through being around him I turn good? Well we'll just see about that now won't we?"

Aaron looked flabbergasted and tried to reply quickly, "It's nothing like that…I mean it's not like you're a slave or anything…and we're not like…married…"

She detected some sincerity in him…did he like her? She had never been good with apologies or with dates…most men she knew just wanted sex…but he seemed sincere. She laughed at his awkward proposal and he looked from Fang to Jon in shock. Jon merely laughed while Fang walked to Lightning and kicked his leg. He shook awake and gazed weakly at Fang, "You are only alive because I decided that to end such a bloodline would be a waste of my time…but know this! If you try to harm my son or my family, the flame of your life will be snuffed out so quickly that you will arrive at the gates of the Void in the same instance!"

He nodded weakly and passed out. Madlyn was really screwed here…but they didn't seem like horrible people. After all, they were Amara's friends.

Warren and Amara arrived in the final chamber where they saw Marcus facing a large mirrored wall partially encased in stone.

"It is about time you arrived…I have wanted to end this for so long now."


	9. The End of an Era

**I tried to finish this one as soon as possible, because I wanted to see what y'all think!**

The End of an Era

Warren could not register what happened, but in the next instance she was on the other side of Marcus, the Cherub drawn. Marcus turned lazily, "The Cherub? I thought we were beyond these petty tricks…a blade meant to kill the fighting spirit of an enemy…too bad for you though, the Void is a taint…and it gives me great power!" He backhanded her and she flew back, Warren diving to catch her. She sheathed her blade and drew Solaris. As she flew through the air, she notched an arrow and took aim for his hand. She let it fly, and when it did it was a ray of pure light hitting his hand. Marcus shrunk away in fear and hissed; Warren blinked.

"Bloody hell…so he's afraid of light? Is that why he was so weak at Richard's tower?"

"Yes," she replied, "but we were all weak then as well."

Marcus stood, rigid and angry and drew his sword. The hilt was dark silver, a skull with horns on both sides. The blade was jet black and it seemed to squirm under the surface. "Die you horrid gnats! Buzzing around with your eyes full of light! You will soon be filled with death and shadow!"

Warren looked from Amara to Marcus, "Okay, I knew he had unhinged but I didn't expect him to be this far gone."

"DIE!" Marcus screamed as shadows left his body and crawled and chattered on the walls. Soon the whole room was encompassed in pitch darkness. Amara readied her bow and Warren drew Inuzaki, the pale blue flame washed over his blade.

"Amara, you have the same Will energies as Thomas and Richard…and since I know that's the case I'm hoping there's a little spell you can whip up that I can't."

"What's that?"

"A little something called Divine Fury."

She dropped the bow and extended her hands and a blue circle appeared around her. Her Will lines flared up brightly and her wings appeared. The circle began to slowly carve its symbols into the ground, the sun pattern slowly being carved. "STOP HER!" Marcus screamed and the shadows fell in a wave of sheer black horror. Warren's blade ignited in its pale blue fury and he extended his hand, "Slow Time!"

The gold wave washed over all and the clock pattern appeared at his feet and he flew around the room. His own natural speed, added with the spell didn't even leave a blur. It looked as if there were five Warren's all hacking and slashing, waves of blue fire burning away the darkness. Amara's eyes glowed with pale white light and she brought her hands to the ground, "Divine Fury!" and a strong blue light shot down on her and engulfed the darkness, any remaining shade scrambled over one another to flee the light and all dove into Marcus' shadow. His body swayed with the light so close to his and stood his ground. Amara sheathed the bow on her back and looked to Warren. He nodded and tossed his sword over to her and pulled the package from his back. Carefully unwrapping the silver scythe, he stood tall as he held it firmly in his hands. "Black Rose," Marcus said with benevolent awe before being struck by rage, "How dare you defile her final resting place!"

"Just as you defile this temple with your presence; I spoke with her and she granted me this weapon to use against you…to put an end to you."

"You can try!" He screamed as a black and purple avatar consumed his body. It was spindly and twisted. It had three faces. It extended its claws and to my surprise it spoke. "We have claimed this one. He has become a child of un-light just as many foolish Heroes before him who sought the Void. The children are within him now…chewing…gnawing…draining the abhorrent light from his filthy bones! We are the shadows that Crawl in the night."

Amara and Warren stood shaken; this entity was not at the will of its master. If anything it was pulling the strings. Amara braced herself and the wings of light gathered around her, "We came this far, we will not be shaken by some specter!" The flames washed over the blade once more, but they were golden and cascaded light across the chamber like the sun itself. Warren tossed her the Reaver, "Make every shot count!"

They ran in she fired the gun, and in her hands the bullets became an extension of her Will as the white orbs punched holes through the entity encasing Marcus. It shrieked with agony and after she had emptied her clip it shrank into the corner in full manifest, "In years to come we will rise…and swallow your HOME! Your filthy descendants will bleed light all over the land, and we will relish their blood!" It vanished into shadow and Warren ran towards Marcus. He quickly composed himself and threw up his hands as blades of shadow flew out at Amara. Warren's golden balverine formed around him and he flew and intercepted the blades with the balverine's teeth. The balverine spit them out and Warren and his avatar glowered at Marcus. "Bring your worst."

Marcus charged at them and swung his sword wide. Amara tried to counter but the force of the blade sent her back. Warren couldn't worry now, he had to stop Marcus, Amara was fine…she was tough. He leapt into the fray swinging the scythe in a wild dance of blood and passion. But Marcus was quick. Even on the defensive he parried every blow with ease. Amara leapt into the fay adding her golden flames to the mix. In the presence of the light he became weak and as they drove him back, not only did he lose ground but he lost his nerve. He took hit after hit from the two Heroes and his blood washed over the sand. Warren knocked the sword from his grip and Amara went in for the killing blow. She drew Cherub and struck with the white light and golden flames and the purifying sun washed over Marcus. His helm fell, split in two, and he sat there in awe. They too were shocked, his pale skin had lost all tint of gray and his Will lines were gone. The horns had disappeared and the only indication he had been wicked were the crimson irises of his eyes. He felt his face and cried out, "No…NO! My power, my taint…you've stolen it ALL from me! Ruby wasn't enough for you; you had to take my powers too!" He back peddled and wobbled his way to the mirror, Warren and Amara screamed no in unison, but he couldn't hear them. His hand touched the surface and a ripple went through it. Rapidly the images changed on the surface, from the burning of the Guild, to tall strange buildings that billowed smoke, to a young boy crashing through a castle window and crashing to the ground, to a darkness consuming Albion, a lone Hero standing to defend the land, finally it rested on Jack of Blades. Warren and Amara ran to the mirror to stop him but stood stricken with terror. Jack laughed, "So the descendant of Archon has come to release me into his world."

He began to step through, but a light rebounded him and he screamed, "NO!" The image shifted once more to a woman in red. She looked at them with pale blank eyes and the image seemed to rush towards her and the world seemed to shift around them. The next thing Warren knew they were in a strange tower facing the woman. "Welcome Heroes, to the Spire."

Warren did not know what to make of the situation but he didn't have to answer as she continued to speak. "I am Theresa, the Seer. I have watched over this world since the time of the Hero of Oakvale, and I have watched you all carefully. What you see before you now is a moment in Albion's future, a great Hero rivaling in power to my brother will arrive here and put an end to a threat that wishes to destroy Albion and build it up from the ashes. Here they will make a wish and sacrifice everything for the future of this nation. They will cast aside riches and their lost loved ones for the sake of millions of strangers. They will be a Hero unlike any other, and they will be bestowed with the title Hero King. But that will come to pass in its own right, for now I have brought you here because your conflict almost awakened a great evil and brought the Void into our world. I can honestly say I am ashamed of you Marcus. You carry in you the blood of a mighty Hero and instead of save the world like Heroes before you; you would cast it into damnation because of your feelings of a woman who had already consigned herself to her fate. You are a disgrace to our bloodline."

He stood there shell shocked before leaping at the blind woman in a heat of rage. She raised a hand and a powerful light washed over him and in an instant he was an old man. He looked at her in horror before gripping his chest and falling over heaving for breath and clutching and clawing at his heart. After much convulsing he lay there dead. She turned to face Warren and Amara and they sunk away in fear. But she smiled at them, a warm smile that made them feel at ease. "Come now, you are safe. You have prevented an evil from rising in this world and by protecting and training Amara, Warren Mest; you have ensured that the bloodline of my brother stays strong. There may not be much power left in the Spire, but I shall grant each of you one wish…I may even let you know your future."

They looked to one another and looked back at the Seer, unsure of what to make of all this. Amara was the first to speak, "I would like to know my future…and I will take my wish after that."

Theresa nodded and extended her hand to Amara, "Take my hand then, and I will show you your future."

She took the Seer's hand and in a flash of light she was gone. She woke in a room of pitch darkness and then suddenly it was full of people before and behind her. She saw Theresa standing by a throne and she walked over to her. "This is your future Amara; you will give birth to the next generation of Heroes that will watch over Albion and protect it. The most memorable being the three that stand with me." To Amara's far left was a young man who looked like Warren, except he was clean shaven and his hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. His eyes were that crystal blue like Amara's and he stood like a champion. "The Hero of Southcliff, he will kill the white balverine like his ancestors before him and become a champion of justice. He will have two children, Rose and Sparrow, who will define a nation."

The one in the middle looked like the first except that he was the spitting image of Warren. The eyes were the same as the Hero of Southcliff, but the jet black hair as indeed Warren's. This Hero had a dog by their side that looked up with hopeful eyes, and three Heroes stood behind this one. A young woman who was a mountain of muscle, her red hair as bright as the setting sun; an aged Samarkandian with powerful will lines coursing across his body, and a smug looking pirate. "This is the Hero of Bowerstone, Sparrow, they will unite three Heroes to stop a grave threat and avert the crisis of the Spire, handing it's control over to me. He will go on to become a great King, and bring change and innovation to Albion. As well as its greatest champion."

The final Hero was a woman; she looked almost identical to Amara with the exception of her brown hair drawn back in a ponytail. She stood in an elegant dress, a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other. She had a crown on her head, "This is the Hero of Brightwall, Rose, named for her aunt who shed the first of the Heroes blood in Bowerstone Castle to make it theirs. She will unite a nation, and bring Aurora to Albion in order to stand against a threat that you had a glimpse of today…the Crawler."

Amara stood shell shocked, "All these people…they are my descendants?"

"They are more than that Amara Collins…they are your legacy."

She stood there unsure of what to say next, "I would like to return to Warren now."

"As you wish."

Warren stood in awe as Amara and Theresa reappeared before him, Theresa then looked at Amara, "Have you decided on your wish?"

"I have…I want to talk to my parents…"

Theresa blinked as if she wasn't expecting that, "Very well."

The ghosts gathered before Amara and Warren couldn't help but cry with her. Before them stood James and Mary Collins. "Hello Warren." They said.

He stepped back and nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes and waved Amara forward. "Uh…mom…dad?"

They smiled with such warmth that Amara hiccupped in her crying, "Hello sweetie." Mary said embracing her daughter, "You've grown up so much…look at you, you do us proud!"

She sniffled, "Thanks mom…"

James patted his daughter on the shoulder, "You do our ancestors proud…it was a shame about Marcus, but he's here now…he's finally with Ruby. I see you have my sword…did you complete the set?"

Amara sniffled again, "Yes father…I did…"

"Well can you do me one final favor?"

"Yes!"

"Keep the swords safe…let out ancestors know that they exist…"

She sniffled, "I will dad…I…I love you!"

She embraced her parents and they faded into wisps, "We will always be with you and watch over you."

She fell to her knees in tears of joy and Warren wrapped his arm around her. "Warren Mest, you still have a wish you may carry out."

He looked up at Theresa, "Come to me when I am dying…then I will carry out my wish."

"Very well, do you wish to know your future before you leave?"

He smiled at her, "The future is always changing…I'd like to see it for myself."

She returned the smile, "You have indeed grown strong. Watch over Amara, and I will see you in a few years."

With that a blue light enveloped them and they returned to the beach. Jon and the others looked at them, "What was that?"

"Nothing," Warren replied, "Just seeing what the future has to hold. Thomas, Amara, let's go home!"

**For those of you who have followed me and this story since chapter one and who have supported me I thank you, because your support has been the drive to keep me going. To Bishou no Marina I love your work, and I thank you for the support you showed me. You have no idea what that meant to me. As promised, I will have one final chapter( an epilogue) which will feature everyone's favorite little scamp Reaver. Thank you all!**


	10. The Wish

The Wish

It had been many a year since Amara Collins returned to Oakvale, and since she did the world saw many changes. The Chapel of Skorm was destroyed when Django tried to summon minions of the Void into the world and had perished among many other screaming cultists. But if anything could be said it was that evil never dies, and soon after the Temple of Shadows rose up in the north in a place called named Rookridge. Richard had returned to Brightwall Tower to resume his research, and at the age of 60 he died from a heart attack. Not the way a Hero was thought to go out, but it had been a week since he got that strange chest sent over by the Oakvale Academy for study and he had complained of having nightmares. Jon had returned to Aurora to protect his people and train Heroes, while Thomas had moved back to Bowerstone. Thomas was elected Mayor for four years and during that time the Bowerstone chicken population increased. They both died after living full lives, thanks to Jon Aurora had a new Heroes Guild for a long time, and Thomas died after accruing a significant amount of wealth which he split among his children and Warren; his best friend. Aaron and Madlyn did eventually marry and had one son, named Adrian Hunter Rose, who lived to become a great trader and marksman. Madlyn left to continue her pirate career and eventually founded Bloodstone Camp on top of Twinblade's old camp. Aaron continued to raise his son in Oakvale, until he left to return to Knothole because of a balverine infestation. He was buried at the ruins of the Witchwood coliseum with the Scarlet Robe rifle, beneath Scarlet Robe's statue. As for Warren and Amara, they settled in Oakvale after relinquishing their weapons to The Vault in Snowspire. They only kept a single pistol and Warren's sword. Midnight came along with them and was a fun part of their children's lives until he passed, and despite the pleading Warren never got another dog. They all lived full lives, and when Amara finally passed giving birth to his third child, Warren kept his promise to watch over them. This is where one chapter ends, and the next begins.

No one knew how long the old man had lived in Oakvale, they said he had been there since the fall of the old Heroes Guild, but no one believed that. He just sat on his porch and drank the tea that his family made for him. His first son, Samuel, had left to become a Hero at the age of sixteen and become very infamous around the world as a Paragon of justice. But eventually he had settled in a small cottage just north of Rookridge. He was always strong, and he said he had found a fiery young woman in the new community called Oakfield with fiery red hair. His second child, the daughter Mina, had shown signs of Heroic blood but instead chose a normal life with her father and her husband to raise a family; she was so much like her mother the townsfolk said. Always kind and generous, trying to make sure everyone got along. The third son, James, had gone to be a scholar in Snowspire to the north. He researched much of the old kingdom and formed a monastery devoted to peace through mind and body. The old man was so proud of his children and was sad to see his daughter moving away. She had spent all afternoon packing the carriage with her husband, son, and daughter. The twins; the boy was a trouble maker like his grandpa had been as a young boy, and the girl was so much like her mother. "Mary dear, please stop playing with you dolly…we can't have you losing it."

"But mum, Ruby wants to see the countryside!"

The woman sighed, "Yes I know but you don't want Ruby to fall off the carriage and bump her head."

The girl looked down at the ground, "Yes mum…"

The old man stood and smiled, "Mary dear, can you come here please?"

"Ok Grandpa!"

He knelt down as the child ran up to him, "Now I know Ruby wants to see the countryside, but your parents have to steer the carriage, so how about this?" He walked up to the covered wagon and cut a peep-hole in the side hand handed her a telescope, "Now this belonged to a good friend of mine, he was the mayor of Bowerstone once did I tell you that?"

"Yes grandpa, but I always like to hear your stories!"

"Well soon you'll have to let your mom do the story telling, I have to stay here, but I promise I'll always watch over you dear." He brought her in for a hug.

"I know…too bad I'm stuck with Warren the whole time…"

At the mention of his name he came running out the door with his father in fast pursuit. The father chased the boy, but he was just too quick. So the old man decided to take control, "Attention!" he cried and the boy and his father snapped to attention, "Right face!" They turned to face the grandfather and he knelt down to be eye level with his grandson, "Private, why are you giving my lieutenant trouble?"

"Sir! I was just trying to keep something that he didn't want me to have, sir!"

"Open your hand son." The old man encouraged.

The boy looked at the ground shamefully and opened his hand; a deer horn knife was clutched in it. "Now let me see," the old man drew the blade, "Hara…did you know in Snowspire this is their word for hope? They use the word for Heroes too, because Heroes are the hope for the future…are you a Hero boy?"

"Not yet grandpa…but I will be!"

The old man tousled the boy's black hair, "I know you will…so do me a favor, you hold on to this…but you can only use it when you turn fourteen…ok?"

"Four more years?"

"If you want I can make it fourteen more years…now how would that look a twenty-four year old man getting his first knife?"

"Bad…four years is ok grandpa."

"That's a lad."

The family was almost ready to go and they had said their goodbyes. That's when the town troublemaker showed up and tried to steal a jeweled knife from the carriage. The old man was swift however and caught the thief by the wrist, "Ow, hey let me go!"

The old man sighed, "Matthew Dorian Rose…why am I not surprised?"

The young man had chestnut hair and fair skin, a small beauty mark was on his left cheek. He was slender and tone, athletic and sneaky. If only he had a better sense of right and wrong. The old man shook his head released the boy and motioned for him to follow him into the house. "What do you drink, tea, liquor, fruit juice?"

"Um…no thanks…what is this about?"

"Your father asked me to watch over you and I have tried but I can't take care of two families…so I'm going to give you a choice. You may either promise me to uphold the law or you can lead a sad, lonely life…which will it be?"

The young man thought about this for a while and couldn't seem to make up his mind. The old man chuckled and opened on of the drawers drawing a pistol. It was a beautiful thing, a polished wood handle, and a sterling silver barrel. There was a pattern of rose thorns etched into the barrel. "Here you go," he said handing Matthew the gun, "Your first step will be winning the marksman contest at the harvest festival next week. You can also impress that lass you fancy, Thomas Mills daughter."

The young man blushed and took the gun slowly, "T-thank you, but I've never shot a gun before…"

The old man laughed, "I have a feeling you'll be a natural…plus it's a fair trade, the knife for the gun."

The boy gently set the knife of the table with the utmost reverence, "Here you are, ad thank you again." He said as he stood to leave.

"Reaver."

"What?"

"The gun's name…its Reaver."

"Reaver," he said looking at the pistol in his hands, "I like it!"

The old man went back out to the porch and sipped his tea until it was time for his daughter's family to leave. "Joseph, take care of my daughter and those beautiful kids for me will you?"

"Of course Warren…I will."

"And junior," The old man called affectionately to his grandson, "Make me proud!"

"I will!"

Mary waved, "Bye-bye grandpa, Ruby says thank you!"

His daughter hoped off the carriage and gave her father a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you dad…for everything."

"You're welcome dear, do be safe…your mother would want that."

"I know dad…bye."

As she left, he heard her begin singing.

"Lo at ten morah hanin,

Sheanak forat lakim,

Toorah na se,

Em shahane."

A tear ran down his cheek as he watched their carriage pull away. He felt the presence there before he acknowledged it. "Hello Theresa."

"Hello Warren, I see you have aged well."

"110, can you believe it? 75 years since I last saw you…do you think Amara would be happy?"

"The future has played out just as I showed her, I believe she would."

"She told me you know…about her vision."

"Really now?"

"That many descendants…and so many horrible trials they will face…how do you bear it, watching them all struggle?"

"I will admit it takes a lot out of me not to intervene too much…but I do what I can to ensure the future is bright."

"I see…then I would like to help you."

"What?"

"You asked me many years ago what my wish would be…I have it…I want you to make me immortal…I want to watch over and protect my children…I want them to know there is someone who will face the trials alongside them."

"Is this truly what you wish…you have lived a full life?"

"I know, but…I want to see where they take this world…I want to see what the future will hold…with my own eyes."

"I asked you many years ago if you wanted to see your future and you said you would rather see for yourself…is this what you meant?"

"Yes…I swore to Amara I would protect our children…now she's gone and I'm all that's left…I would like to safe-guard my family's future."

"Well then Warren Mest…take my hand."

**Here it is, the end of it all. I'm going to continue my work with a Fable 2 story, and I will have all new Heroes and even some that we've seen before. *wink wink* but that aside, I would like to personally thank you all for making me feel at home with this community. I have never before finished a story and by doing this I feel much better about the future. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do.**


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